Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच राजवृत्तं महाराज शृणुष्वावहितो5खिलम्‌ । यत्‌ कार्य पार्थिवेनादौ पार्थिवप्रकृतेन वा

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca rājavṛttaṃ mahārāja śṛṇuṣvāvahito 'khilam | yat kāryaṃ pārthivenādau pārthivaprakṛtena vā ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่มหาราช จงสดับกฎแห่งความประพฤติของพระราชาโดยถ้วนทั่วด้วยความตั้งใจ ข้าจะกล่าวถึงสิ่งที่ผู้ปกครองควรกระทำเป็นอันดับแรก—และสิ่งที่ผู้ซึ่งโดยสันดานและหน้าที่เหมาะแก่การรับใช้ราชการและแบกรับภารกิจแห่งแผ่นดินควรกระทำด้วย”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजवृत्तम्: royal conduct / duties of a king
• राजवृत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजवृत्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शृणुष्व: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• आवहितः: attentive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अखिलम्: entirely; the whole (of it)
• अखिलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यत्: which; what
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कार्यम्: duty; what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पार्थिवेन: by a king
• पार्थिवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आदौ: at first; in the beginning
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि

• पार्थिवप्रकृतेन: by one having the nature/temperament of a king
• पार्थिवप्रकृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिवप्रकृति
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Mahārāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames the start of his instruction on rājadharma: a king (and those acting in royal capacity) must first learn and follow the complete discipline of proper governance, approached with careful attention and seriousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s post-war instruction, Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and begins laying out the principles of statecraft and ethical kingship, asking him to listen closely as he explains what a ruler should do first.