Shloka 33

राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)

Devanagari script

राजद्विषप्टे च विप्रस्य विषयान्ते विसर्जनम्‌ | विधीयते न शारीरं दण्डमेषां कदाचन

Transliteration

rājadvīṣa-pāṭe ca viprasya viṣayānte visarjanam | vidhīyate na śārīraṃ daṇḍam eṣāṃ kadācana prajānātha |

Translation

Sabi ni Bhishma: Kahit mapatunayang nagkasala ang isang Brahmin dahil sa pagkapoot sa hari, ang itinakdang parusa ay pagpapatapon hanggang sa gilid ng kaharian. O panginoon ng mga mamamayan, kailanman ay hindi dapat ipataw sa kanila ang parusang pisikal. Ang diwang-dharma nito ay pagpipigil sa katarungang panghari: kahit mabibigat na kasalanan ng isang Brahmin ay dapat tumbasan ng pagpapaalis, hindi ng pananakit sa katawan—binibigyang-diin ang pag-iingat sa katauhan ng Brahmin at ang tungkulin ng hari na timplahin ang parusa ng habag.

Word by Word

• राजद्विषप्टे: in (the case of) treason/hostility to the king
• राजद्विषप्टे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजद्विषप्ट
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• विप्रस्य: of a Brahmin
• विप्रस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विषयान्ते: at the boundary/end of the realm
• विषयान्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषयान्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विसर्जनम्: banishment/expulsion (sending away)
• विसर्जनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विसर्जन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विधीयते: is prescribed/ordained
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (वि + धा)
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

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

• शारीरम्: bodily/physical
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शारीर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दण्डम्: punishment
• दण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एषाम्: of these (persons/offenders)
• एषाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (addressed as Prajānātha)
• Brahmin (vipra)
• Realm/territory (viṣaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal punishment must be restrained by dharma: even in cases like hostility to the king, a Brahmin is to be punished by banishment to the frontier, not by bodily harm, reflecting a norm of protecting the Brahmin’s person and emphasizing mercy within justice.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma advises the king on legal penalties. Here he specifies that for a Brahmin accused of grave political offence (hostility/treason), the ordained response is expulsion from the kingdom rather than corporal punishment.