Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

वर्जनीयं सदा युद्ध राज्यकामेन धीमता । उपायैस्त्रिभिरादानमर्थस्याह बृहस्पति:

Transliteration

varjanīyaṃ sadā yuddhaṃ rājyakāmena dhīmatā | upāyais tribhir ādānam arthasyāha bṛhaspatiḥ ||

Translation

جو دانا حکمران سلطنت کی بھلائی چاہے، اسے ہمیشہ جنگ سے بچنے ہی کی کوشش کرنی چاہیے۔ اے نریش! برہسپتی نے بادشاہ کے لیے دولت کے حصول کے تین ہی طریقے بتائے ہیں—سام (مصالحت)، دان (عطیہ) اور بھید (تفریق/اختلاف پیدا کرنا)۔ ان طریقوں سے جتنی دولت حاصل ہو سکے، عالم بادشاہ کو اسی پر قناعت کرنی چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• वर्जनीयम्: to be avoided
• वर्जनीयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्जनीय (वर्ज् धातु से भाव्य/अनियत-कृत्य प्रत्यय)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• युद्धम्: war
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राज्यकामेन: by/with one desiring sovereignty (kingdom)
• राज्यकामेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्यकाम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धीमता: by the wise (one)
• धीमता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उपायैः: by means/strategies
• उपायैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आदानम्: acquisition/obtaining
• आदानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थस्य: of wealth/means
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (ब्रू/वच् अर्थे; परस्मैपदी)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bṛhaspati

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king seeking stable sovereignty should avoid war and pursue prosperity through non-violent political means—conciliation (sāma), strategic giving (dāna), and calibrated division of hostile forces (bheda)—remaining content with wealth gained through these methods.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and cites Bṛhaspati as an authority, emphasizing that war should be a last resort and that governance should prioritize peaceful strategies for securing resources and stability.