Shloka 31

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

विहीनं कर्मणान्यायं यः प्रगृह्नाति भूमिप: । उपायस्याविशेषज्ञं तद्‌ वै क्षत्रं नपुंसकम्‌

Transliteration

vihīnaṃ karmaṇā nyāyaṃ yaḥ pragṛhṇāti bhūmipaḥ | upāyasyāviśeṣajñaṃ tad vai kṣatraṃ napuṃsakam ||

Translation

毗湿摩曰：若君王任用为辅臣者，既无善行，复乏公正之心，又不知成事之方略与权谋，则其刹帝利之威权，实为无能之权，如同阉弱。

Word by Word

• विहीनम्: devoid (of)
• विहीनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहीन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्मणा: by action / by conduct
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अन्यायम्: injustice
• अन्यायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रगृह्णाति: accepts / takes up
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूमिपः: king
• भूमिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपायस्य: of means / of expedients
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अविशेषज्ञम्: not knowing distinctions (i.e., undiscerning)
• अविशेषज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविशेषज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• क्षत्रम्: kingship / kshatra (royal power)
• क्षत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नपुंसकम्: impotent / unmanly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नपुंसक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (bhūmipaḥ)
• minister/counselor (implied by pragṛhṇāti)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal power becomes ineffective when a king relies on advisors who lack righteous conduct, justice, and strategic discernment; ethical competence in counsel is essential to legitimate and effective rule.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma warns about the consequences of poor ministerial selection, stating that a king who adopts an unjust and incompetent counselor renders his own sovereignty powerless.