Shloka 4

Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

स चेन्नोपनिवर्तेत वाच्यो ब्राह्मणसंसदि । कस्मिन्निदानीं मर्यादामयं लोक: करिष्यति,इतनेपर भी यदि वह ब्राह्मण न लौटे तो ब्राह्मणोंके समाजमें जाकर राजा उससे यों कहे --“ब्रह्मन! यदि आप यहाँसे चले जायँगे तो ये प्रजावर्गके लोग किसके आश्रयमें रहकर धर्ममर्यादाका पालन करेंगे?”

Transliteration

sa cennopanivarteta vācyo brāhmaṇasaṃsadi | kasminn idānīṃ maryādām ayaṃ lokaḥ kariṣyati |

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—అయినను ఆ బ్రాహ్మణుడు తిరిగి రాకపోతే, రాజు బ్రాహ్మణసభలో అతనితో ఇలా పలకాలి—“హే బ్రాహ్మణా, మీరు ఇక్కడి నుండి వెళ్లిపోతే, ఈ ప్రజలు ఎవరి ఆశ్రయమున ఉండి ధర్మమర్యాదలను పాటించగలరు?”

Word by Word

सःhe (that person)

चेत्if

नnot

उपनिवर्तेतshould return/turn back

वाच्यःto be addressed / should be told

ब्राह्मणसंसदिin the assembly of Brahmins

कस्मिन्in whom/where (on whom)

इदानीम्now

मर्यादामयम्consisting of/filled with boundaries (proper limits)

लोकःthe people/world

करिष्यतिwill do / will maintain

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

a Brahmana

the King

assembly of Brahmanas

the people (loka/prajā)

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?

Dharma in society depends on recognized moral authority and protection; if a principled brāhmaṇa withdraws, the king must appeal to him publicly, emphasizing that the populace needs guidance and a stable standard (maryādā) to sustain righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma advises what a king should say if a brāhmaṇa refuses to return: in a brāhmaṇa assembly the king should respectfully question who will uphold dharma’s boundaries for the people if the brāhmaṇa leaves, thereby urging him to remain for the welfare of society.