Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अशिष्टनिग्रहो नित्यं शिष्टस्य परिपालनम्‌ । एवं शुक्रो 5ब्रवीद्‌ धीमानापत्सु भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ] आपत्तिकालमें भी सदा दुष्टोंका दमन और शिष्ट पुरुषोंका पालन करना चाहिये, ऐसा बुद्धिमान्‌ शुक्राचार्यका कथन है

Transliteration

aśiṣṭa-nigraho nityaṁ śiṣṭasya paripālanam | evaṁ śukro ’bravīd dhīmān āpatsu bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—భరతశ్రేష్ఠా! ఎల్లప్పుడూ అశిష్టులను నియంత్రించి, శిష్టులను పరిరక్షించాలి. జ్ఞానవంతుడైన శుక్రాచార్యుడు ఇదే ఉపదేశించాడు—ఆపద్కాలములోనూ ఈ ధర్మం నిలిచియుండాలి.

Word by Word

अशिष्टनिग्रहःrestraint/suppression of the unrefined (wicked)

नित्यम्always

शिष्टस्यof the well-behaved (good person)

परिपालनम्protection/maintenance

एवम्thus

शुक्रःŚukra (Śukrācārya)

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

धीमान्wise

आपत्सुin calamities/in times of distress

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Shukra (Shukracharya)

Bharatarshabha (Yudhishthira as addressee)

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?

The ruler’s ethical duty is twofold and constant: restrain wrongdoers (aśiṣṭa-nigraha) and protect the virtuous (śiṣṭa-paripālana). This obligation does not lapse even during emergencies or political crises.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira and supports his counsel by citing the authoritative maxim of Shukra, emphasizing steady enforcement of order and protection of good people even in times of distress.