Shloka 66

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

मड़लालम्भनं चैव शरीरस्य प्रतिक्रिया । आहारयोजन चैव नित्यमास्तिक्यमेव च

Transliteration

maṇḍalālambhanaṃ caiva śarīrasya pratikriyā | āhārayojanaṃ caiva nityam āstikyam eva ca ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Bộ luận ấy cũng nói về việc nâng đỡ và giữ vững quốc độ của mình, phép chăm sóc và điều dưỡng thân thể cho đúng, việc sắp đặt ăn uống cho có trật tự, và luôn gìn giữ một tâm trí hữu thần, đặt nền trên đức tin.”

Word by Word

• मण्डलालम्भनम्: obtaining/attaining a realm (mandala)
• मण्डलालम्भनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डलालम्भन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• शरीरस्य: of the body
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रतिक्रिया: care/therapy; treatment
• प्रतिक्रिया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिक्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• आहारयोजनम्: arrangement of food/diet-planning
• आहारयोजनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहारयोजन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• नित्यम्: always/constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• आस्तिक्यम्: faith/theism
• आस्तिक्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्तिक्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Good governance and personal well-being are both parts of dharma: one should uphold the stability of the realm, maintain proper bodily care and discipline, ensure orderly nourishment, and remain steadfast in āstikya—faith in dharma and the moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and statecraft; here he notes that a guiding text/treatise includes practical topics ranging from political stability (maṇḍalālambhana) to health, food management, and sustained theistic conviction.