Shloka 15

Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

पाल्यमानास्तथान्योन्यं नरा धर्मेण भारत । खेदं परमुपाजग्मुस्ततस्तान्‌ मोह आविशत्‌

Transliteration

pālyamānās tathānyonyaṁ narā dharmeṇa bhārata | khedaṁ param upājagmus tatas tān moha āviśat ||

Translation

पाल्यमानास्तथान्योन्यं नरा धर्मेण भारत । खेदं परमुपाजग्मुस्ततस्तान् मोह आविशत् ॥

Word by Word

• पाल्यमानाः: being protected/maintained
• पाल्यमानाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल्य (पाल् धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शानच् (वर्तमान कर्मणि कृदन्त), कर्मणि प्रयोग

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अन्योन्यम्: one another, mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मेण: by dharma, through righteousness
• धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• खेदम्: distress, fatigue
• खेदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परम्: great, extreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपाजग्मुः: they reached/experienced
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम् (गम् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मोहः: delusion
• मोहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आविशत्: entered, seized
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-विश् (विश् धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Bharata (Yudhishthira addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a society grounded in dharma can falter when the duties of mutual care begin to feel burdensome; unchecked fatigue can open the door to moha—confusion that erodes righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a phase where people initially uphold one another through dharma, but later experience severe strain in maintaining reciprocal protection, after which delusion spreads among them.