Shloka 14

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

भेक्ष्यचर्या ततः प्राहुस्तस्य तद्धर्मचारिण: । तथा वैश्यस्य राजेन्द्र राजपुत्रस्य चैव हि,राजेन्द्र! पूर्वोक्त धर्मोॉका आचरण करनेवाले शूद्रके लिये तथा वैश्य और क्षत्रियके लिये भी भिक्षा माँगकर निर्वाह करनेका विधान है

Transliteration

bheṣyacaryā tataḥ prāhus tasya tad-dharmacāriṇaḥ | tathā vaiśyasya rājendra rājaputrasya caiva hi |

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—اے راجندر! اس کے بعد جو اس مقررہ ضابطۂ دھرم پر چلتا ہے، اس کے لیے بھیک مانگ کر گزر بسر کرنے کی روش بیان کی گئی ہے۔ یہی قاعدہ ویشیہ کے لیے بھی ہے، اور اسی طرح کشتری راجپتر کے لیے بھی۔

Word by Word

भैक्ष्यचर्याम्life by begging (mendicancy as livelihood)

ततःthen/thereafter

प्राहुःthey said/declared

तस्यof him/of that

तत्that (practice/rule)

धर्मचारिणःthose who practice that dharma

तथाlikewise/so too

वैश्यस्यof the Vaiśya

राजेन्द्रO king (lord of kings)

राजपुत्रस्यof the king’s son (prince)

चand

एवindeed/just

हिfor/indeed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Yudhishthira (implied by rājendra)

Vaiśya

Kṣatriya prince (rājaputra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That, when one undertakes the previously described discipline of dharma, subsistence through alms (bhikṣā) is sanctioned—not only for one group but also stated as applicable to the Vaiśya and even to a Kṣatriya prince under such a regimen.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues instructing the king on rules of conduct and permissible livelihoods; here he notes that begging for sustenance is an accepted provision for those practicing the stated dharma, extending the point to the Vaiśya and a royal prince.