Shloka 37

राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्

Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable

Devanagari script

यदा5>प्तदक्षिणैर्यज्जैर्यजते श्रद्धयान्वित: । कामद्वेषावनादृत्य स राज्ञो धर्म उच्यते,जब वह राग और द्वेषका अनादर करके पर्याप्त दक्षिणावाले यज्ञोंद्वारा श्रद्धापूर्वक यजन करता है, तब वह राजाका धर्म कहा जाता है

Transliteration

yadāptadakṣiṇair yajñair yajate śraddhayānvitaḥ | kāmadveṣāv anādṛtya sa rājño dharma ucyate ||

Translation

Khi một vị vua cử hành các lễ tế với lòng tin kính, ban đủ lễ vật cúng dường, và làm như thế mà không thuận theo xung lực của dục vọng và thù hận, thì hạnh ấy được gọi là dharma của bậc quân vương.

Word by Word

यदाwhen

आप्तदक्षिणैःwith (sacrifices) having sufficient fees (dakṣiṇā)

यज्ञैःby/with sacrifices

यजतेhe performs sacrifice / worships

श्रद्धयाwith faith

अन्वितःendowed (with), accompanied by

कामद्वेषौdesire and hatred

अनादृत्यhaving disregarded / not heeding

सःhe

राज्ञःof the king

धर्मःduty / dharma

उच्यतेis said / is called

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Utathya

king (rājā)

yajña

dakṣiṇā

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal dharma is defined as performing public, faith-filled sacrificial duties with proper generosity (dakṣiṇā), while remaining free from personal bias—specifically the pull of desire (kāma) and hatred (dveṣa).

What is happening in the narrative?

Utathya is instructing about rājadharma in the Śānti Parva, identifying a king’s righteous conduct as disciplined ritual action and giving, carried out sincerely and without being driven by personal likes and dislikes.