Shloka 33

Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अथैतद्‌ रोचते राजन पुनर्ब्रहि ब्रवीमि ते । यदि तुम मेरी बतायी हुई नीतिके अनुसार कार्य करोगे तो तुम्हें पुन: महान्‌ वैभव, राज्य, राज्यकी मन्त्रणा और विशाल सम्पत्तिकी प्राप्ति होगी। राजन्‌! यदि मेरी यह बात तुम्हें रचती हो तो फिरसे कहो, क्या मैं तुमसे इस विषयका वर्णन करूँ?

Transliteration

atha etad rocate rājan punar brūhi bravīmi te | yadi tvam mayā kathitāyā nītyā anuṣṭhāsyasi tataḥ punar mahad vaibhavaṁ rājyaṁ rājya-mantraṇāṁ ca vipulāṁ sampattiṁ ca prāpsyasi | rājan yadi meyaṁ vāk tava rocate punar eva vada—kim aham etad viṣayaṁ te varṇayāmi ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «Если это тебе по сердцу, о царь, скажи ещё раз — и я поведаю тебе дальше. Если ты будешь действовать согласно той политике поведения, которой я тебя научил, ты вновь обретёшь великое благополучие: царскую власть, совет и управление царством, и обильные богатства. О царь, если мои слова тебе приятны, скажи снова: желаешь ли ты, чтобы я изложил это дело подробно?»

Word by Word

• {'atha': 'now

• thereupon', 'etat': 'this (teaching/matter)', 'rocate': 'pleases

• is agreeable', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'punar': 'again

• once more', 'brūhi': 'speak

• say (imperative)', 'bravīmi': 'I speak

• I will tell', 'te': 'to you', 'yadi': 'if', 'mayā': 'by me', 'kathitāyāḥ nītyāḥ': 'of the taught nīti

• policy/ethical conduct', 'anuṣṭhāsyasi': 'you will practice/undertake

• you will carry out', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'mahat': 'great', 'vaibhavam': 'splendor

• power', 'rājyam': 'kingdom

• sovereignty', 'rājya-mantraṇām': 'state counsel

• deliberation/administration of the realm', 'vipulām': 'vast

• abundant', 'sampattim': 'wealth

• prosperity', 'prāpsyasi': 'you will obtain', 'vāk': 'speech

• words', 'viṣayam': 'topic

• subject-matter', 'varṇayāmi': 'I describe

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the King (Yudhiṣṭhira, addressed as rājan)
• rājya (kingdom/sovereignty)
• rājya-mantraṇā (royal counsel/administration)
• sampatti (wealth/resources)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that adherence to nīti—practical ethical governance and disciplined conduct—restores a ruler’s prosperity: stable sovereignty, sound counsel in statecraft, and material well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhīṣma continues instructing King Yudhiṣṭhira on royal duty. Here he pauses to confirm the king’s receptivity, promising further exposition and linking the king’s future success to following the counsel already given.