Shloka 43

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

प्रगण्डी: कारयेत्‌ सम्यगाकाशजननीस्तदा । आपूरयेच्च परिखां स्थाणुनक्रझषाकुलाम्‌

Transliteration

pragaṇḍīḥ kārayet samyag ākāśa-jananīs tadā | āpūrayec ca parikhāṃ sthāṇu-nakra-jhaṣākulām ||

Translation

จากนั้นพึงให้สร้างปรคัณฑี (ชาน/งานป้องกันบนเชิงกำแพง) ให้มั่นคงเรียบร้อย และทำอากาศชนณี—ช่องเล็กในกำแพงสำหรับสอดส่องและยิงอาวุธ—ไว้ตามตำแหน่งอันเหมาะสม พึงเติมน้ำลงในคูเมืองนอกเชิงกำแพง ปักเสาแหลมติดง่ามตรีศูล และปล่อยจระเข้กับปลาตัวใหญ่ให้ชุกชุม

Word by Word

• प्रगण्डीः: battlement-platforms / rampart-stands
• प्रगण्डीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रगण्डी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• कारयेत्: should cause (to be) made
• कारयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (णिच्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

• सम्यक्: properly, well
• सम्यक्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• आकाशजननीः: sky-openings / loopholes (lit. 'sky-producers')
• आकाशजननीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाशजननी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आपूरयेत्: should cause to be filled
• आपूरयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पूॄ (णिच्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

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

• परिखाम्: moat, ditch
• परिखाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिखा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• स्थाणु-नक्र-झष-आकुलाम्: filled with stakes, crocodiles, and fish
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थाणु + नक्र + झष + आकुल
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• pragaṇḍī (fortification platform)
• ākāśa-jananī (loophole/aperture)
• parikhā (moat)
• sthāṇu (stakes/posts)
• nakra (crocodiles)
• jhaṣa (large fish)
• nagara (city/fortified town)
• durga (fort)
• parakoṭa (outer rampart/encircling wall)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In rājadharma, protection of subjects is a primary duty; Bhīṣma teaches that a ruler should ensure layered, well-planned defenses—platforms for guards, controlled openings for observation and missile use, and moats with obstacles—so that security is maintained and aggression is deterred.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is instructing on practical fort-defense: build pragaṇḍīs and ākāśa-jananī openings correctly, then strengthen the outer perimeter by filling the moat with water and adding dangerous impediments like spiked posts, crocodiles, and large fish.