Shloka 35

राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)

Devanagari script

दुर्गेषु च महाराज षट्सु ये शास्त्रनिश्चिता: । सर्वदुर्गेषु मन्यन्ते नरदुर्ग सुदुस्तरम्‌,महाराज! मरु (जलरहित भूमि), जल, पृथ्वी, वन, पर्वत और मनुष्य--इन छः प्रकारके दुर्गोंमें मानवदुर्ग ही प्रधान है। शास्त्रोंके सिद्धान्तको जाननेवाले विद्वान्‌ उक्त सभी दुर्गोमें मानव दुर्गको ही अत्यन्त दुर्लघ्य मानते हैं

Transliteration

durgeṣu ca mahārāja ṣaṭsu ye śāstra-niścitāḥ | sarva-durgeṣu manyante nara-durgaṃ sudustaram ||

Translation

ହେ ମହାରାଜ! ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଛଅ ପ୍ରକାର ଦୁର୍ଗ କୁହାଯାଇଛି। ସେସବୁ ଦୁର୍ଗମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ପଣ୍ଡିତମାନେ ‘ନରଦୁର୍ଗ’—ମନୁଷ୍ୟବଳରେ ଗଢ଼ା ପ୍ରତିରକ୍ଷା—କୁ ସର୍ବାଧିକ ଦୁର୍ଜୟ ମାନନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• {'durgeṣu': 'in fortresses

• in strongholds (locative plural of durga)', 'mahārāja': 'O great king (address)', 'ṣaṭsu': 'in six

• among six (locative plural of ṣaṭ)', 'ye': 'those who', 'śāstra-niścitāḥ': 'those whose views are settled/ascertained by the śāstras

• learned in authoritative doctrine', 'sarva-durgeṣu': 'among/in all fortresses', 'manyante': 'they think

• they consider', 'nara-durgam': 'the human fortress

• a fortification made of/defended by men', 'sudustaram': 'very hard to cross/overcome

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)