Shanti Parva Adhyaya 66 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)

Devanagari script

अफड---रू- पज्चषष्टितमो< ध्याय: इन्द्ररूपधारी विष्णु और मान्धाताका संवाद इन्द्र उवाच एवंवीर्य: सर्वधर्मोपपन्न: क्षात्र: श्रेष्ठ: सर्वधर्मेषु धर्म: । पाल्यो युष्माभिलोंकहितैरुदारै- विंपर्यये स्पादभव: प्रजानाम्‌

Transliteration

indra uvāca | evaṁvīryaḥ sarvadharmopapannaḥ kṣātraḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadharmeṣu dharmaḥ | pālyo yuṣmābhir lokahitair udārair viparyaye syād abhavaḥ prajānām ||

Translation

ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର କହିଲେ—ରାଜନ୍! ଏହିପରି କ୍ଷାତ୍ରଧର୍ମ ସମସ୍ତ ଧର୍ମମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଓ ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ; ସମସ୍ତ ଧର୍ମଗୁଣରେ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଇଛି। ଲୋକହିତେଷୀ ଉଦାର ତୁମମାନଙ୍କୁ ସଦା ଏହି କ୍ଷାତ୍ରଧର୍ମକୁ ହିଁ ପାଳନ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ଏହାର ବିପର୍ଯ୍ୟୟ କିମ୍ବା ଅବହେଳା ହେଲେ ପ୍ରଜାଙ୍କର ନାଶ ହେବ।

Word by Word

इन्द्रःIndra

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

वीर्यःpower, strength

सर्वधर्मोपपन्नःendowed with all dharmas

क्षात्रःthe kshatriya (duty/order)

श्रेष्ठःbest, foremost

सर्वधर्मेषुamong all dharmas

धर्मःdharma, duty

पाल्यःto be protected/observed

युष्माभिःby you (pl.)

लोकहितैःbeneficial to the world

उदारैःnoble, generous

विपर्ययेin the opposite case, otherwise

स्यात्would be

अभावःnon-existence, destruction

प्रजानाम्of the subjects/people

Speaker

इन्द्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Indra

a king (rājan)

prajā (the subjects/people)

kṣātra-dharma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that kṣātra-dharma (royal/warrior duty) is foremost because it safeguards social order: a ruler must actively uphold protection, justice, and public welfare; neglect of this duty leads to the ruin of the people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra addresses a king, urging him to maintain kṣātra-dharma for the sake of lokahita (public good). The statement frames kingship as a moral responsibility: when royal duty is inverted or abandoned, the subjects suffer destruction.