Shanti Parva Adhyaya 76 Shloka 11 - Mahabharata | Thai | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 11

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline

Devanagari script

सर्ववर्णै: सदा रक्ष्यं ब्रह्म॒स्वं ब्राह्मणा यथा । न स्थेयं विषये तेन यो5पकुर्याद्‌ द्विजातिषु

Transliteration

sarvavarṇaiḥ sadā rakṣyaṃ brahmasvaṃ brāhmaṇā yathā | na stheyaṃ viṣaye tena yo 'pakuryād dvijātiṣu ||

Translation

ทรัพย์ที่อุทิศแก่พราหมณ์ (พราหมสวะ) พึงได้รับการคุ้มครองอยู่เสมอโดยชนทุกวรรณะ ดังที่พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายคุ้มครองเอง ผู้ใดทำร้ายทวิชะ (ผู้เกิดสองครั้ง) พระราชาไม่พึงให้ผู้นั้นพำนักอยู่ในแว่นแคว้นของตน

Word by Word

सर्ववर्णैःby all varṇas (all social classes)

सदाalways

रक्ष्यम्to be protected / should be protected

ब्रह्मस्वम्Brahmin property (property belonging to Brahmins)

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins

यथाjust as

नnot

स्थेयम्should be stayed / should be allowed to remain

विषयेin the realm/territory

तेनby him / by that person

यःwho

अपकुर्यात्should do harm / would harm

द्विजातिषुtowards/among the twice-born (esp. Brahmins)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

brāhmaṇa

brahmasva

rājā

viṣaya (kingdom/realm)

dvijāti (twice-born)

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?

The verse teaches rājadharma: safeguarding brahmasva (Brahmin-endowed property) is a collective duty across all varṇas, and the king must enforce social-ethical order by not tolerating those who harm the twice-born—especially Brahmins—within his realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on the king’s responsibilities: protecting religious-social institutions (symbolized by brahmasva) and maintaining public order by removing offenders who persecute the dvijas.