Shloka 125

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

तेन धर्मोत्तरश्चायं कृतो लोको महात्मना । रंजिताश्च प्रजा: सर्वास्तेन राजेति शब्द्यते

Transliteration

tena dharmottaraś cāyaṃ kṛto loko mahātmanā | rañjitāś ca prajāḥ sarvās tena rājeti śabdyate ||

Translation

ఆ మహాత్ముడు ఈ లోకంలో ధర్మాన్ని అగ్రస్థానంలో నిలిపెను. ఇంకా ఆయన సమస్త ప్రజలను సంతోషపరచి హృదయాలను గెలుచుకొనెను; అందువల్లనే ఆయన “రాజా” అని పిలువబడెను.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्मोत्तरः: having dharma as supreme / dharma-preeminent
• धर्मोत्तरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मोत्तर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतः: made/established
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive/resultative

• लोकः: world/realm
• लोकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रंजिताः: pleased/delighted
• Type: Verb
• Root: रञ्ज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Plural, Passive/resultative

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वाः: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• शब्द्यते: is called/denoted
• Type: Verb
• Root: शब्द्
• Form: Lat, Present, Passive (Ātmanepada form), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• mahātman (a great-souled ruler/king, unnamed in this verse)
• loka (the world/realm)
• prajāḥ (subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A true king is defined by two ethical achievements: establishing Dharma as the highest priority in society and actively securing the welfare and contentment of all subjects; the title “rājā” is justified by the ruler’s ability to ‘please/benefit’ (rañjayati) the people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on rāja-dharma in the Śānti Parva, characterizes the ideal ruler: a great-souled king who makes Dharma predominant in the realm and keeps the populace satisfied, hence earning the designation ‘king’.