Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रभुत्वं लभते जन्तुर्थर्मस्यैतत्‌ फलं विदु: । सतु धर्मफलं लब्ध्वा न हृष्यति युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

prabhutvaṁ labhate jantur dharmasyaitat phalaṁ viduḥ | sa tu dharmaphalaṁ labdhvā na hṛṣyati yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

สัตว์โลกย่อมได้อำนาจและความเป็นใหญ่—เขาทั้งหลายกล่าวว่านั่นคือผลแห่งธรรม แต่โอ ยุธิษฐิระ ผู้ได้ผลแห่งธรรมนั้นแล้วก็ไม่ลิงโลดด้วยความยินดี

Word by Word

• प्रभुत्वम्: lordship, sovereignty
• प्रभुत्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभुत्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• जन्तुः: a creature, living being
• जन्तुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मस्य: of dharma, of righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit, result
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विदुः: they know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• धर्मफलम्: the fruit of dharma
• धर्मफलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मफल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active (parasmai sense)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हृष्यति: rejoices, exults
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhishthira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma may yield power and authority, but the truly righteous person remains inwardly steady and does not become intoxicated or proud upon gaining such results.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance; here he explains that even when dharma produces worldly sovereignty, a dhārmika should not exult, emphasizing restraint and humility in rule.