Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

किलेके भीतर बहुत-सा ईंधन इकट्ठा कर ले और कुएँ खुदवाये। जल पीनेकी इच्छावाले लोगोंने पहले जो कुएँ बना रखे हों, उनको भी झरवाकर शुद्ध करा दे ।।

Transliteration

tṛṇacchannāni veśmāni paṅkenātha pralepayet | nirhṛtya ca tṛṇaṁ māsi caitre vahnibhayāt tathā |

Translation

Bhishma nói: Hãy cho những ngôi nhà lợp cỏ và rơm được trát kín bằng đất sét ướt. Và khi tháng Chaitra đến, vì sợ hỏa hoạn, hãy cho dọn sạch cỏ rơm khỏi trong thành nữa. (Như vậy, bậc quân vương phải kịp thời thi hành các biện pháp bảo đảm an toàn công cộng và ngăn ngừa tai ương.)

Word by Word

• तृणच्छन्नानि: covered with grass
• तृणच्छन्नानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृण-छन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वेश्मानि: houses
• वेश्मानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• पङ्केन: with mud
• पङ्केन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अथ: then/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• प्रलेपयेत्: should plaster/smear
• प्रलेपयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-लिप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निर्हरेत्: should remove/carry out
• निर्हरेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• तृणम्: grass/straw
• तृणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• चैत्रे: in (the month of) Chaitra
• चैत्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वह्निभयात्: from fear of fire
• वह्निभयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि-भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• houses (thatched dwellings)
• wet clay/mud plaster
• the month Chaitra
• fire (vahni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should practice foresight in governance: prevent predictable disasters (like seasonal fires) through practical civic measures, thereby protecting subjects and upholding rāja-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on kingship in the Shanti Parva, he advises concrete municipal precautions—plastering thatched houses with wet clay and removing dry thatch/grass as Chaitra approaches—to reduce the risk of fire.