Shloka 4

मयूरवद्राजधर्मः (Mayūra-vat Rāja-dharma) — The Peacock-Model of Protective Kingship

Devanagari script

अनुरूपाणि कर्माणि भृत्येभ्यो य: प्रयच्छति । स भृत्यगुणसम्पन्नो राजा फलमुपाश्रुते,जो राजा अपने सेवकोंको उनकी योग्यताके अनुरूप कार्य सौंपता है, वह भृत्यके गुणोंसे सम्पन्न हो उत्तम फलका भागी होता है

Transliteration

anurūpāṇi karmāṇi bhṛtyebhyo yaḥ prayacchati | sa bhṛtya-guṇa-sampanno rājā phalam upāśrute ||

Translation

جو بادشاہ اپنے خادموں کو ان کی اہلیت اور مرتبے کے مطابق کام سونپتا ہے، وہ خدمت کے اوصاف سے آراستہ ہو کر بہترین نتائج حاصل کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

अनुरूपाणिsuitable, appropriate

कर्माणिtasks, duties, works

भृत्येभ्यःto the servants

यःwho

प्रयच्छतिgives, assigns, bestows

सःhe

भृत्यगुणसम्पन्नःendowed with (good) qualities of servants / having good servants

राजाking

फलम्result, fruit

उपाश्रुतेobtains, attains

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (rājā)

servants/retainers (bhṛtya)

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?

A ruler should allocate responsibilities according to each servant’s suitability and competence; such fitting assignment strengthens service-virtues (guṇa) in the administration and yields the best outcomes (phala) for the king and the kingdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma is advising the king on practical governance: effective rule depends on discerning people’s capacities and entrusting them with appropriate duties.