Shloka 17

Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)

Devanagari script

एवं हि क्षत्रबन्धूनां मार्गमाहु: प्रधानतः । नास्य कृत्यतमं किंचिदन्यद्‌ दस्युनिबर्हणात्‌,इस प्रकार युद्धको ही क्षत्रियोंके लिये प्रधान मार्ग बताया गया है, उसके लिये लुटेरोंके संहारसे बढ़कर दूसरा कोई श्रेष्ठतम कर्म नहीं है। यद्यपि दान, अध्ययन और यज्ञ--इनके अनुष्ठानसे भी राजाओंका कल्याण होता है, तथापि युद्ध उनके लिये सबसे बढ़कर है; अतः विशेषरूपसे धर्मकी इच्छा रखनेवाले राजाको सदा ही युद्धके लिये उद्यत रहना चाहिये

Transliteration

evaṁ hi kṣatrabandhūnāṁ mārgam āhuḥ pradhānataḥ | nāsya kṛtyatamaṁ kiñcid anyad dasyunibarhaṇāt ||

Translation

एवं हि क्षत्रबन्धूनां मार्गमाहुः प्रधानतः। नास्य कृत्यतमं किंचिदन्यद् दस्युनिबर्हणात्॥

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

हिindeed, for

क्षत्रबन्धूनाम्of the kshatriya-kin / of those related to kshatriyas

मार्गम्path, course

आहुःthey say, they have declared

प्रधानतःchiefly, principally

नnot

अस्यof him/it; for him/it (contextual genitive)

कृत्यतमम्most to-be-done; most excellent duty

किम्anything; what

चित्at all (enclitic particle)

अन्यत्other

दस्युनिबर्हणात्than the extermination of robbers/bandits

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that a king’s foremost dharma is the protection of society through the firm suppression of lawless violence (dasyus). While charity, Vedic study, and sacrifice are beneficial, the kshatriya’s primary obligation is maintaining order—even through battle—so that dharma can stand.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about the proper conduct of kings. Here he emphasizes that readiness for war is not mere aggression but a necessary instrument of governance when used to restrain criminals and protect the realm.