Shloka 1

Book 12, Chapter 93 — Vāmadeva’s Counsel to King Vasumanā on Dharmic Kingship (धर्मप्रधान-राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अफ्-८#-"रू- $. दुष्टोंको दण्ड देनेका स्वभाव। २. दीन-दुखियों तथा साधु पुरुषोंके प्रति दया एवं सहानुभूति। - उतथ्यने राजा मान्धाताकों उपदेश दिया है और मान्धाता सूर्यवंशी नरेश थे

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kathaṃ dharme sthātum icchan rājā varteta dhārmikaḥ? pṛcchāmi tvāṃ kuruśreṣṭha tan me brūhi pitāmaha.

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—ହେ କୁରୁଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ପିତାମହ! ଧର୍ମାତ୍ମା ରାଜା ଯଦି ଧର୍ମରେ ସ୍ଥିର ରହିବାକୁ ଇଚ୍ଛା କରେ, ତେବେ ସେ କିପରି ଆଚରଣ କରିବ? ମୁଁ ଆପଣଙ୍କୁ ପଚାରୁଛି—ମୋତେ କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)

• धर्मे: in dharma / in righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्थातुम्: to stand / to remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• इच्छन्: wishing / desiring
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वर्तेत: should behave / should conduct himself
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

• धार्मिकः: righteous / dharma-abiding
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine (pronoun), Accusative, Singular

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine (pronoun), Dative, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पितामह: O grandsire
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• Kuru lineage (Kurus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the central problem of rājadharma: a king who genuinely wants to abide by dharma must learn the concrete standards of conduct—how to rule, judge, and act so that power remains aligned with righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and governance, Yudhiṣṭhira turns to the elder Bhīṣma as an authoritative teacher and asks for practical guidance on how a righteous ruler should live and govern while staying rooted in dharma.