Shloka 29

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

पारम्पर्यागते द्वारे ये केचिदनुवर्तिन: । परिचर्यावतो द्वारे ये च केचन वर्गिण:

Transliteration

pāramparyāgate dvāre ye kecid anuvartinaḥ | paricaryāvato dvāre ye ca kecana vargiṇaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：凡世代相承而在王门供职、循其所定之职守者；以及在王之近臣如大臣等门前守卫者，或为一队一部之长者，皆不应被杀。其义在于：凡在政权门槛处承担护卫与役使之任、尤以既定职责而行者，不可视作战斗之人而加以诛戮。

Word by Word

• पारम्पर्यागते: in/at the traditionally inherited (post/position)
• पारम्पर्यागते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारम्पर्यागत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• द्वारे: at the gate/door
• द्वारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some (certain persons)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् + चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अनुवर्तिनः: followers/attendants (those who serve by following orders)
• अनुवर्तिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुवर्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिचर्यावतः: those engaged in service/attendance
• परिचर्यावतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिचर्यावत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्वारे: at the gate/door
• द्वारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• केचन: some (others)
• केचन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् + चन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वर्गिणः: leaders/men belonging to a troop or group
• वर्गिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्गिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• royal gate (rājadvāra)
• ministers (mantrin, implied by context)
• royal attendants/servants (rājasevaka, implied)
• troop/unit (yūtha, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in conflict, dharma restricts violence: hereditary gatekeepers, attendants, and organized guards performing protective/service duties at the royal threshold are not legitimate targets for killing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on righteous conduct and governance-related ethics; here he specifies categories of personnel connected with palace and ministerial gates—guards and service-followers—who should be spared.