Shloka 1

Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa

The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

ऑपनआक्रात बछ। 2 विशर्त्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: राजथधर्मका साररूपमें वर्णन युधिछिर उवाच राजवृत्तान्यनेकानि त्वया प्रोक्तानि भारत | पूर्व: पूर्वनियुक्तानि राजधर्मार्थवेदिभि:

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | rājavṛttāny anekāni tvayā proktāni bhārata | pūrvaiḥ pūrvanīyuktāni rājadharmārthavedibhiḥ ||

Translation

ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਹੇ ਭਾਰਤ! ਰਾਜਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਤੱਤ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਪੂਰਵ ਰਾਜਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ ਸਮੇਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਰਾਜੋਚਿਤ ਆਚਰਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਯਤ ਕਰਕੇ ਅਪਣਾਇਆ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਵਰਣਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

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

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

• राजवृत्तानि: royal practices / kingly conduct
• राजवृत्तानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजवृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनेकानि: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रोक्तानि: told / spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पूर्वैः: by the earlier (kings/people)
• पूर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पूर्वनियुक्तानि: previously enjoined/appointed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-नियुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• राजधर्मार्थवेदिभिः: by knowers of royal duty and purpose
• राजधर्मार्थवेदिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजधर्मार्थवेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhārata (addressed figure, traditionally Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate royal conduct (rājavṛtta) is grounded in rāja-dharma as understood by knowledgeable predecessors; good governance is presented as a tradition of ethically informed practices rather than personal whim.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira responds to the ongoing instruction on rāja-dharma, acknowledging that the elder has already explained many established norms of kingship practiced by earlier rulers who understood the principles and aims of governance.