Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विकर्मस्थाश्ष नोपेक्ष्या विप्रा राज्ञा कथठ्चन । इति राज्ञां पुरावृत्तमभिजल्पन्ति साधव:,अपने वर्णके विपरीत कर्मोमें लगे हुए ब्राह्मणोंकी राजाको किसी प्रकार उपेक्षा नहीं करनी चाहिये (क्योंकि उन्हें दण्ड देकर भी राहपर लाना राजाका कर्तव्य है)। साधुपुरुष इसीको राजाओंका प्राचीनकालसे चला आता हुआ बर्ताव या धर्म कहते हैं

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: vikarmasthāś ca noprekṣyā viprā rājñā kathaṃcana | iti rājñāṃ purāvṛttam abhijalpanti sādhavaḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच— विकर्मस्थाश्च नोपेक्ष्या विप्रा राज्ञा कथञ्चन । इति राज्ञां पुरावृत्तमभिजल्पन्ति साधवः ॥

Word by Word

विकर्मस्थाःthose situated in improper acts

नnot

उपेक्ष्याःto be neglected/overlooked

विप्राःbrahmins

राज्ञाby the king

कथंचनin any way/at all

इतिthus

राज्ञाम्of kings

पुराformerly/of old

वृत्तम्conduct/practice

अभिजल्पन्तिthey declare/utter

साधवःthe good/virtuous people

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

king (rājā)

Brahmins (viprāḥ)

the righteous (sādhavaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must not ignore Brahmins who have deviated into improper conduct; royal responsibility includes correcting even respected social groups when they stray from dharma, following established precedent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on rāja-dharma in the Śānti Parva, he states a rule of governance: the king should actively address misconduct among Brahmins, and he cites this as the traditional practice praised by the righteous.