Shloka 75

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

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच महाभाग्यं दण्डनीत्या: सिद्धै: शब्दे: सहेतुकै: । शृणु मे शंसतो राजन्‌ यथावदिह भारत,भीष्मजी बोले--राजन्‌! भरतनन्दन! दण्डनीतिसे राजा और प्रजाके जिस महान्‌ सौभाग्यका उदय होता है, उसका मैं लोकप्रसिद्ध एवं युक्तियुक्त शब्दोंद्वारा वर्णन करता हूँ, तुम यथावत्‌ रूपसे यहाँ उसे सुनो

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | mahābhāgyaṃ daṇḍanītyāḥ siddhaiḥ śabdaiḥ sahetukaiḥ | śṛṇu me śaṃsato rājan yathāvad iha bhārata ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระราชา โอรสแห่งวงศ์ภรตะ จงสดับเถิด ข้าพเจ้าจักอธิบายโดยลำดับ ด้วยถ้อยคำอันเป็นที่ยอมรับและมีเหตุผล ถึงมหาสุภมงคลที่บังเกิดแก่ผู้ปกครองและประชาราษฎร์จากทัณฑนีติ”

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'mahābhāgyam': 'great fortune

• high good', 'daṇḍanītyāḥ': 'of daṇḍanīti

• statecraft', 'siddhaiḥ': 'established

• authoritative', 'śabdaiḥ': 'with words

• by expressions', 'sahetukaiḥ': 'with reasons

• supported by causes/arguments', 'śṛṇu': 'listen', 'me': 'from me

• my', 'śaṃsataḥ': 'as I declare/explain

• while I am expounding', 'rājan': 'O king', 'yathāvat': 'properly

• correctly', 'iha': 'here

• in this context', 'bhārata': 'O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the King (Yudhishthira, implied)
• Bharata lineage (Bhārata)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma introduces daṇḍanīti (the disciplined use of authority, law, and punishment) as a source of great welfare for both ruler and subjects, and signals that his account will be grounded in established tradition and rational justification.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva dialogue on kingship, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and begins a structured exposition on statecraft, asking him to listen carefully as he explains the benefits and principles of governance.