Shloka 17

Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa

The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

एवं मयूरवद्‌ राजा स्वराज्यं परिपालयेत्‌ | आत्मवृद्धिकरीं नीतिं विदधीत विचक्षण:

Transliteration

evaṁ mayūravad rājā svarājyaṁ paripālayet | ātmavṛddhikarīṁ nītiṁ vidadhīta vicakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Vì vậy, như con công luôn cảnh giác giữ gìn chỗ ở của mình, một vị vua sáng suốt phải cẩn trọng bảo vệ và trị vì vương quốc. Nhà vua nên nương theo đường lối trị quốc giúp chính mình tăng trưởng—củng cố địa vị và thịnh vượng—để triều chính được vững bền và trật tự.”

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• मयूरवत्: like a peacock
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मयूरवत्

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वराज्यम्: his own kingdom
• स्वराज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वराज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिपालयेत्: should protect / should govern
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-पाल्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आत्मवृद्धिकरीम्: bringing about one’s own prosperity
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मवृद्धिकर
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नीतिम्: policy, conduct, statecraft
• नीतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विदधीत: should adopt / should institute
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विचक्षणः: wise, discerning
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• peacock (mayūra)
• kingdom/realm (svarājya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must vigilantly protect and administer his own realm, and he should adopt prudent policies (nīti) that strengthen his stability and prosperity—advancement here means securing the kingdom through wise, beneficial governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma continues advising the ruler on practical governance, using the peacock as an illustrative comparison for alert protection of one’s domain and the adoption of growth-supporting policy.