Shloka 12

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 113 — Maryādā-sthāpana (Śvetaketu’s Boundary) and the Niyoga Deliberation of Pāṇḍu and Kuntī

Devanagari script

त॑ भीष्म: प्रत्युवाचेदं मद्रराज॑ं जनाधिप: । धर्म एष परो राजन्‌ स्वयमुक्त: स्वयम्भुवा,यह सुनकर जनेश्वर भीष्मजीने मद्रराजको इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया--'राजन्‌! यह उत्तम धर्म है। स्वयं स्वयम्भू ब्रह्माजीने इसे धर्म कहा है”

Transliteration

taṁ bhīṣmaḥ pratyuvācedaṁ madrarājaṁ janādhipaḥ | dharma eṣa paro rājan svayamuktaḥ svayambhuvā ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Услышав это, Бхишма, владыка людей, ответил царю Мадры: «О царь, это — высшая дхарма. Сам Сваямбху (Брахма) провозгласил это дхармой».

Word by Word

तत्that (speech/statement)

भीष्मःBhishma

प्रत्युवाचreplied

इदम्this (speech)

मद्रराजम्the king of Madra (Madra-raja)

जनाधिपःlord of people, ruler

धर्मःdharma, righteous duty

एषःthis

परःsupreme, highest

राजन्O king

स्वयम्by oneself, personally

उक्तःsaid, declared

स्वयम्भुवाby the Self-born (Brahma)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

Madrarāja (King of Madra)

Svayambhū (Brahmā)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma affirms that the principle under discussion is not merely practical advice but the supreme dharma, validated by the highest cosmic authority—Svayambhū (Brahmā). The ethical force comes from grounding human conduct in an overarching moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing the Madra king’s words (or query), Bhīṣma responds formally, addressing him as ‘O King’ and elevating the matter by stating that this dharma was proclaimed by Brahmā himself, thereby strengthening its legitimacy and binding force for a ruler.