Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

गुणवान्‌ शीलवान्‌ दान्तो मृदुर्धर्म्यो जितेन्द्रिय: । सुदर्श: स्थूललक्ष्यश्न न भ्रश्येत सदा श्रिय:

Transliteration

guṇavān śīlavān dānto mṛdur dharmyo jitendriyaḥ | sudarśaḥ sthūlalakṣyaś ca na bhraśyet sadā śriyaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Vị vua có đức hạnh và nề nếp tốt—tự chế, tính tình nhu hòa, chuyên tâm theo dharma, làm chủ các giác quan—dáng vẻ đáng mến, tướng mạo rộng lớn cát tường—thì không bao giờ suy rơi khỏi phú quý vương quyền.

Word by Word

• गुणवान्: possessed of virtues
• गुणवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शीलवान्: of good conduct/character
• शीलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दान्तः: self-controlled, restrained
• दान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृदुः: gentle, mild
• मृदुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्म्यः: righteous, in accordance with dharma
• धर्म्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुदर्शः: pleasant to behold, handsome
• सुदर्शः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदर्श
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थूललक्ष्यः: having prominent/large marks (auspicious features)
• स्थूललक्ष्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूललक्ष्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• भ्रश्येत: would fall away / would be deprived
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रंश्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), Optative, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

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

• श्रियाḥ: from prosperity/royal fortune (Lakshmi)
• श्रियाḥ: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Ablative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king)
• Śrī (prosperity/fortune; rājya-lakṣmī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal prosperity is sustained not merely by power but by inner discipline and ethical character: virtue, good conduct, gentleness, devotion to dharma, and mastery of the senses are said to prevent a ruler’s decline from Śrī (fortune and sovereignty).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and righteousness, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira about the traits of a stable, successful ruler, asserting that a king with these qualities does not lose his royal fortune.