Shloka 11

Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत््वेन भरतर्षभ । कृत्स्नं तन्मे यथातत्त्व॑ प्रत्रूहि वदतां वर

Transliteration

etad icchāmy ahaṁ śrotuṁ tattvena bharatarṣabha | kṛtsnaṁ tan me yathātattvaṁ prabrūhi vadatāṁ vara ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Hỡi bậc tráng kiện nhất trong dòng Bharata, ta muốn được nghe điều ấy theo đúng thực chất. Hỡi Pitāmaha, bậc thuyết giảng tối thượng, xin hãy nói cho ta trọn vẹn, chính xác như nó vốn là—tất cả chân tướng của việc này.”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• तत्त्वेन: in truth / truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• भरतर्षभ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कृत्स्नम्: entire / whole
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• यथा: as / in the manner that
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तत्त्वम्: the truth / reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रब्रूहि: tell / explain
• प्रब्रूहि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वदताम्: of those who speak
• वदताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर: O best
• वर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• भरतश्रेष्ठ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bharatarṣabha (honorific addressee, traditionally Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva)
• Vadatāṁ vara (best of speakers; traditionally Bhīṣma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: a ruler seeks not partial opinions but the complete truth (tattva) and asks for a precise, undistorted explanation (yathātattvam), emphasizing intellectual honesty and ethical clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the revered instructor (commonly Bhīṣma) and requests a full, truthful account of the matter under discussion, setting up a detailed teaching that follows.