Shloka 57

राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः

Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures

Devanagari script

दृढ्भक्तिं कृतप्रज्ञं धर्मज्ञं संयतेन्द्रियम । शूरमक्षुद्रकर्माणं निषिद्धजनमाश्रयेत्‌

Transliteration

dṛḍhabhaktiṁ kṛtaprajñaṁ dharmajñaṁ saṁyatendriyam | śūram akṣudrakarmāṇaṁ niṣiddhajanam āśrayet ||

Translation

ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਰਾਜਾ ਆਪਣੇ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ਦ੍ਰਿੜ੍ਹ ਭਗਤੀ ਵਾਲੇ, ਯੁੱਧ-ਵਿਦਿਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਿਖ਼ਤ ਤੇ ਸੁਝਵਾਨ, ਧਰਮ-ਜਾਣੂ, ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ-ਸੰਯਮੀ, ਸ਼ੂਰਵੀਰ ਅਤੇ ਉੱਚੇ (ਅਕਸ਼ੁਦ੍ਰ) ਕਰਮ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਪੁਰਖ ਨੂੰ ਸੈਨਾਪਤੀ ਬਣਾ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਉੱਤੇ ਭਰੋਸਾ ਕਰੇ—ਜੋ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਲਈ ਨਿਸ਼ਿਧ/ਅਨੁਚਿਤ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਆਸਰਾ ਨਾ ਲਵੇ।

Word by Word

• दृढभक्तिम्: having firm devotion
• दृढभक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढभक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कृतप्रज्ञम्: of settled wisdom; prudent
• कृतप्रज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतप्रज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञम्: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संयतेन्द्रियम्: self-controlled (with restrained senses)
• संयतेन्द्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयतेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शूरम्: a hero; brave man
• शूरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अक्षुद्रकर्माणम्: one whose deeds are not mean; of noble actions
• अक्षुद्रकर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षुद्रकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निषिद्धजनम्: a forbidden/undesirable person (one to be avoided)
• निषिद्धजनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषिद्धजन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रयेत्: should resort to / should take refuge in
• आश्रयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वसुमना उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वसुमना (Vasumanā)
• राजा (the king)
• सेनापति (commander-in-chief, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should entrust military leadership only to a person of proven loyalty, disciplined senses, sound judgment, and dharmic integrity—especially one who will not depend on unethical or forbidden associates for support.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic passage on governance in the Śānti Parva, Vasumanā advises the king about selecting a suitable leader (implicitly a सेनापति), listing the moral and practical qualifications required for command.