Shloka 1

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

भीकम (2 अमान शततमो<ध्याय: सैन्यसंचालनकी रीति-नीतिका वर्णन युधिषछ्िर उवाच यथा जयार्थिन: सेनां नयन्ति भरतर्षभ । ईषदू धर्म प्रपीड्यापि तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--भरतश्रेष्ठ पितामह! विजया-भिलाषी राजालोग जिस प्रकार धर्मका थोड़ा-सा उल्लंघन करके भी अपनी सेनाको आगे ले जाते हैं, वह मुझे बताइये

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—yathā jayārthinaḥ senāṃ nayanti bharatarṣabha | īṣad dharmaṃ prapīḍyāpi tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Ó melhor dos Bhāratas, ó venerável avô! Dize-me como os reis que buscam a vitória conduzem seus exércitos adiante — ainda que, para isso, tenham de pressionar (ou comprometer) o dharma um pouco.”

Word by Word

• {'yathā': 'how

• in what manner', 'jayārthinaḥ': 'those desiring victory

• victory-seekers', 'senām': 'army

• military force', 'nayanti': 'they lead

• they conduct', 'bharatarṣabha': 'bull among the Bharatas

• best of the Bharata lineage (honorific address)', 'īṣat': 'slightly

• to a small extent', 'dharmam': 'dharma

• moral law/duty', 'prapīḍya': 'having pressed

• having compromised', 'api': 'even

• although', 'tat': 'that (matter)', 'me': 'to me

• for me', 'brūhi': 'tell

• explain', 'pitāmaha': 'grandsire (Bhīṣma)'}

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic rājadharma problem: how rulers pursuing victory manage military action when strict adherence to dharma seems to hinder success, and what limits or justifications exist for minor ethical compromise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma, seeking guidance on the practical rules of leading armies and the ethical tensions kings face when advancing their forces for victory.