Shloka 2

Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa

The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

तदेव विस्तरेणोक्तं पूर्वदृष्टं सतां मतम्‌ प्रणेयं राजधर्माणां प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

tad eva vistareṇoktaṃ pūrvadṛṣṭaṃ satāṃ matam | praṇeyaṃ rājadharmāṇāṃ prabrūhi bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ— ହେ ଭରତଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ପୂର୍ବପୁରୁଷମାନେ ଆଚରିତ କରିଥିବା ଏବଂ ଜ୍ଞାନୀମାନେ ସମ୍ମତ କରିଥିବା ଉତ୍କୃଷ୍ଟ ରାଜଧର୍ମକୁ ଆପଣ ବିସ୍ତାରରେ କହିଛନ୍ତି। ଏବେ ସେହି କଥାକୁ ସଂକ୍ଷେପରେ, ଆଚରଣଯୋଗ୍ୟ ଭାବରେ କହନ୍ତୁ— ଯାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ତାହାର ଅଧିକ ସଠିକ୍ ଓ ପ୍ରଭାବଶାଳୀ ପାଳନ ହେବ।

Word by Word

• तत्: that (same thing)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विस्तरेण: in detail/with elaboration
• विस्तरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उक्तम्: said/declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त, Passive (PPP), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पूर्वदृष्टम्: seen/observed earlier; traditional
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वदृष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मतम्: opinion/view
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रणेयम्: to be led/propounded; to be set forth
• प्रणेयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नी
• Form: यत् (gerundive), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजधर्माणाम्: of the duties of kings (royal duties)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रब्रूहि: tell/declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• भरतर्षभ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bharatarṣabha (honorific addressee, typically Bhīṣma in this context)
• Bharatas (dynastic lineage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal dharma should be both authoritative (grounded in ancient precedent and the approval of the wise) and practicable; therefore, detailed doctrine must be distilled into a concise form that can be implemented effectively.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance, Yudhiṣṭhira requests the teacher (addressed as “Bharatarṣabha”) to restate the already-elaborated kingly duties in a brief, actionable summary for easier observance.