Shloka 9

Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa

Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment

Devanagari script

क्षत्रियाणां तु वक्ष्यामि तवापि विदितं पुन:

Transliteration

kṣatriyāṇāṃ tu vakṣyāmi tavāpi viditaṃ punaḥ | prajānātha |

Translation

ହେ ପ୍ରଜାନାଥ! ତୁମକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଜଣା ଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ, ଏବେ ମୁଁ ପୁନର୍ବାର କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟମାନଙ୍କ ଧର୍ମ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରୁଛି।

Word by Word

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• विदितम्: known
• विदितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• prajānātha (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vyāsa frames a renewed instruction on kṣatriya-dharma: the responsibilities and ethical obligations of rulers are important enough to be restated even to one who already knows them.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Vyāsa addresses a king (‘prajānātha’) and announces that he will again set forth the code of conduct for kṣatriyas, preparing for a detailed enumeration of royal duties.