Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भूमिवर्ज धनं राजा जित्वा राजन्‌ महाहवे । अपि चान्नौषधी: शश्वदाजहार प्रतर्दन:

Transliteration

bhūmivarjaṃ dhanaṃ rājā jitvā rājan mahāhave | api cānnauṣadhīḥ śaśvad ājahāra pratardanaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ପୂର୍ବକାଳରେ ରାଜା ପ୍ରତର୍ଦନ ମହାହବେ ଜୟ ପାଇ, ଭୂମିକୁ ଛାଡ଼ି ଅନ୍ୟ ସମସ୍ତ ଧନ ନେଇଥିଲେ; ଏବଂ ସେ ସଦା ଅନ୍ନ ଓ ଔଷଧିମାନଙ୍କ ସଞ୍ଚୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଜ ରାଜଧାନୀକୁ ଆଣୁଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• भूमि-वर्जम्: excluding the land
• भूमि-वर्जम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूमि + वर्ज (वर्जित)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनम्: wealth, treasure
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जित्वा: having conquered
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (जय)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महाहवे: in the great battle
• महाहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्न-औषधीः: food and medicinal herbs
• अन्न-औषधीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + औषधी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• शश्वत्: always, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत्

• आजहारा: brought, carried off
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (हृ)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• प्रतर्दनः: Pratardana (proper name)
• प्रतर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Pratardana
• the king addressed (Yudhishthira)
• land (bhūmi)
• wealth/treasure (dhana)
• grain/provisions (anna)
• medicinal herbs (auṣadhī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Victory should be tempered by restraint: a righteous ruler may secure movable resources needed for governance while avoiding needless devastation or dispossession of the conquered land, thereby limiting suffering and preserving stability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma cites an earlier example: King Pratardana wins a major battle and, instead of seizing the defeated king’s territory, takes the remaining wealth along with supplies of grain and medicinal herbs to his own capital.