Shanti Parva Adhyaya 70 Shloka 15 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 15

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

(विद्वांस:क्षत्रिया वैश्या ब्राह्मणाश्व बहुश्रुता: । दण्डनीतौ तु निष्पन्ना मन्त्रिण: पृथिवीपते ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

vidvāṃsaḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyā brāhmaṇāś ca bahuśrutāḥ |

daṇḍanītau tu niṣpannā mantriṇaḥ pṛthivīpate ||

praṣṭavyo brāhmaṇaḥ pūrvaṃ nītiśāstrasya tattvavit |

paścāt pṛcchet bhūpālaḥ kṣatriyaṃ nītikovidam ||

vaiśyaśūdrāv tathā bhūyaḥ śāstrajñau hitakāriṇau |

ajñāyamāne hīnatve sandhiṃ kuryāt pareṇa vai |

lipsur vā kañcid evārthaṃ tvaramāṇo vicakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

ହେ ପୃଥିବୀପତି! ଦଣ୍ଡନୀତିରେ ନିପୁଣ ଥିବା ବିଦ୍ୱାନ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ, ବୈଶ୍ୟ ଓ ବହୁଶ୍ରୁତ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ପ୍ରଥମେ ନୀତିଶାସ୍ତ୍ରର ତତ୍ତ୍ୱଜ୍ଞ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କୁ ପଚାରିବା; ପରେ ନୀତିକୋବିଦ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟଙ୍କୁ ଜିଜ୍ଞାସା କରିବା; ତାପରେ ରାଜହିତେ ଲଗ୍ନ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରଜ୍ଞ ବୈଶ୍ୟ ଓ ଶୂଦ୍ରମାନଙ୍କର ମତ ନେବା। ଏବଂ ନିଜ ଦୁର୍ବଳତା ଶତ୍ରୁଙ୍କୁ ଜଣା ପଡ଼ିବା ପୂର୍ବରୁ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ତାଙ୍କ ସହ ସନ୍ଧି କରିବା ଉଚିତ; କିମ୍ବା ସେହି ସନ୍ଧିରେ କୌଣସି ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ ସିଦ୍ଧ ହୁଏ ଯଦି, ତେବେ ବିଚକ୍ଷଣ ରାଜା ତ୍ୱରା କରି ବିଳମ୍ବ କରିବେ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

पृथ्वीपतेO lord of the earth (king)

विद्वान्learned, wise

क्षत्रियःa Kshatriya

वैश्यःa Vaishya

तथाand, likewise

अनेकin many (things)

शास्त्रेषुin the treatises/śāstras

ज्ञाताknower

ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin

यदिif

दण्डनीतेःof polity/punitive governance

ज्ञानेin knowledge

निपुणःskilled, proficient

भवेत्should be

तर्हिthen

एतान्these (persons)

मन्त्रिणःministers, counsellors

कुर्यात्should make/appoint

पूर्वम्first

प्रष्टव्यःto be asked (should be asked)

ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin

नीतिशास्त्रस्यof the science of polity

तत्त्ववित्knower of the principles

पश्चात्afterwards

पृच्छेत्should ask

भूपालःthe king (protector of the earth)

क्षत्रियम्a Kshatriya

नीतिकोविदम्skilled in polity

तदनन्तरम्thereafter

वैश्यशूद्रौthe Vaishya and the Shudra

तथाalso, likewise

भूयःfurther, moreover

शास्त्रज्ञौknowing the śāstras

हितकारिणौbenefit-doing, well-wishing

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (Pṛthivīpati/Bhūpāla)

Brahmin (Brāhmaṇa)

Kshatriya (Kṣatriya)

Vaishya (Vaiśya)

Shudra (Śūdra)

enemy/opponent (Para)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should build a competent council drawn from multiple social groups, prioritizing principled ethical insight (Brahmin), then strategic-political expertise (Kshatriya), and then practical welfare-oriented counsel (Vaishya and Shudra). In diplomacy, prudence requires making peace or alliance before one’s weakness becomes visible, especially when it secures a concrete objective.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira principles of governance: how to select and consult ministers in an ordered way, and how to act swiftly in forming treaties with opponents when strategic conditions demand it.