Shloka 28

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ तीक्षण: प्रजा राजा स्वधर्मे स्थापयेत्‌ ततः । अन्योन्यं भक्षयन्तो हि प्रचरेयुर्वका इव

Transliteration

tasmāt tīkṣṇaḥ prajā rājā svadharme sthāpayet tataḥ | anyonyaṁ bhakṣayanto hi pracareyur vakā iva ||

Translation

ଏହେତୁ ଦୃଢ଼ ଓ କଠୋର ରାଜା ପ୍ରଜାକୁ ନିଜ-ନିଜ ସ୍ୱଧର୍ମରେ ସ୍ଥାପିତ କରିବା ଉଚିତ; ନହେଲେ ସେମାନେ ନେଆଳି ପରି ପରସ୍ପରକୁ ଲୁଟି ଗ୍ରାସ କରି ନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରଣହୀନ ଭାବେ ଘୁରିବେ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तीक्ष्णः: sharp/strict
• तीक्ष्णः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• स्वधर्मे: in (their) own duty
• स्वधर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्थापयेत्: should establish/place
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (स्थापयति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अन्योन्यम्: one another (mutually)
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• भक्षयन्तः: devouring/eating
• भक्षयन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• प्रचरेयुः: would roam/wander
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वकाः: wolves (as given in the cited text)
• वकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• subjects/people (prajāḥ)
• wolves (vakāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that effective kingship requires firm enforcement of dharma: a ruler must keep people established in their proper duties; without such restraint, society collapses into mutual predation and lawlessness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about governance, warning that if a king is not stern in upholding order, the subjects will harm one another and wander unchecked like wolves.