Shloka 31

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

दशाधिपतय: कार्या: शताधिपतयस्तथा । ततः सहस्राधिपतिं कुर्याच्छूरमतन्द्रितम्‌

Transliteration

daśādhipatayaḥ kāryāḥ śatādhipatayas tathā | tataḥ sahasrādhipatiṁ kuryāc chūram atandritam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“当立十人之长，亦立百人之长；继而当立一位勇猛而警醒、不懈怠的英雄，为千人之帅。”此乃治国与护国之训：严整有纪的军制，被视为君王之法（dharma）所系——以保秩序、责成与备战，而非任其纷乱与怠惰。

Word by Word

• दशाधिपतयः: commanders of ten
• दशाधिपतयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशाधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कार्याः: should be appointed/made
• कार्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (करणे)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शताधिपतयः: commanders of a hundred
• शताधिपतयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शताधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सहस्राधिपतिम्: a commander of a thousand
• सहस्राधिपतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्यात्: should make/appoint
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (करणे)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शूरम्: a brave man
• शूरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अतन्द्रितम्: untiring/vigilant
• अतन्द्रितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should establish clear, tiered command—leaders over tens, hundreds, and thousands—choosing brave and vigilant officers, so that protection of the realm is carried out with discipline and accountability as a duty of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising the king on practical statecraft: how to structure the army by appointing commanders at different levels, culminating in a thousand-commander who is courageous and free from negligence.