Shloka 3

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

उपायधर्मान्‌ वक्ष्यामि सिद्धार्थानर्थधर्मयो: । निर्मर्यादा दस्यवस्तु भवन्ति परिपन्थिन:

Transliteration

upāyadharmān vakṣyāmi siddhārthān arthadharmayoḥ | nirmaryādā dasyavas tu bhavanti paripanthinaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର! ଏବେ ମୁଁ ଅର୍ଥ ଓ ଧର୍ମ—ଉଭୟର ସିଦ୍ଧିକୁ ସାଧନ କରୁଥିବା, ପରୀକ୍ଷିତ ଉପାୟ-ଧର୍ମମାନଙ୍କୁ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରିବି। ଯେତେବେଳେ ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦାହୀନ ଡାକୁ-ଲୁଟେରାମାନେ ଅର୍ଥ-ଧର୍ମର ସୀମା ଭଙ୍ଗ କରି ପଥଘାତକ ହୋଇଯାଆନ୍ତି, ସେତେବେଳେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ନିଗ୍ରହ ଓ ବିନାଶ ପାଇଁ ବେଦସମ୍ମତ ଯେ ଉପାୟ ଦିଆଯାଇଛି, ତାହା ମୁଁ କହିବାକୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରୁଛି। ସମସ୍ତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟସିଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଁ ସେହି ଉପାୟଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ମୋ ପାଖରୁ ଶୁଣ।

Word by Word

• उपायधर्मान्: means-related duties / expedient dharmas
• उपायधर्मान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपायधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall speak / I will explain
• वक्ष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सिद्धार्थान्: effective; accomplishing the purpose
• सिद्धार्थान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अर्थधर्मयोः: of artha and dharma
• अर्थधर्मयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• निर्मर्यादाः: without bounds; lawless
• निर्मर्यादाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मर्याद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दस्यवः: bandits; robbers
• दस्यवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but; however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• भवन्ति: become; are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• परिपन्थिनः: highwaymen; obstructers (of the path)
• परिपन्थिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिपन्थिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Veda (as authority, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma frames governance as the protection of both artha (public welfare and stability) and dharma (moral-legal order), and introduces ‘upāya-dharma’—practical, result-tested measures that a ruler may employ, including sanctioned force, to restrain lawless disruptors.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira receives instruction from Bhīṣma on kingship and policy. Here Bhīṣma begins a section on pragmatic statecraft: how to deal with bandits and social predators who violate the bounds of dharma and artha.