Shloka 6

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

मनोर्महात्मनस्तात प्रजा धर्मेण शासत: । बभूव पुत्रो धर्मात्मा शर्यातिरिति विश्रुत:,तात! पूर्वकालमें धर्मपूर्वक प्रजाका पालन करनेवाले महामनस्वी राजा मनुके एक धर्मात्मा पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ, जिसका नाम था शर्याति

Transliteration

manor mahātmanas tāta prajā dharmeṇa śāsataḥ | babhūva putro dharmātmā śaryātir iti viśrutaḥ ||

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்—அன்புள்ளவனே! தர்மப்படி குடிகளை ஆளும் மகாத்மா மனுவுக்கு, ‘சர்யாதி’ எனப் புகழ்பெற்ற ஒரு தர்மமிகு மகன் பிறந்தான்।

Word by Word

मनुःManu

महात्मनःof the great-souled

तातO dear (son)

प्रजाःsubjects, people

धर्मेणby righteousness, according to dharma

शासतःof (him) ruling/governing

बभूवthere was / was born / became

पुत्रःa son

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled, virtuous

शर्यातिःŚaryāti

इतिthus, as

विश्रुतःwell-known, renowned

तातO dear (son)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Manu

Śaryāti

prajā (subjects/people)

dharma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that a ruler’s legitimacy and success rest on governing the people through dharma—just, principled administration. Such dharmic kingship is portrayed as the foundation for righteous continuity in society and in royal lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is recounting an ancestral account: Manu, famed for ruling his subjects according to dharma, has a son born to him—Śaryāti—who is described as dharmātmā and widely renowned. This sets up a genealogical and moral context for the discussion.