Shloka 1

मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः

Determination of the Means to Liberation

Devanagari script

/ अपन कराता बछ। अं क्ज सप्तषष्ट्याधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: द्युमत्सेन और सत्यवान्‌का संवाद--अहिंसापूर्वक राज्यशासनकी श्रेष्ठठाका कथन युधिछिर उवाच कथं राजा प्रजा रक्षेत्र च किंचित्‌ प्रधातयेत्‌ । पृच्छामि त्वां सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kathaṁ rājā prajā rakṣet ca kiñcit pradhātayet? pṛcchāmi tvāṁ satāṁ śreṣṭha tan me brūhi pitāmaha.

Translation

由提施提罗说：“祖父啊，诸善人中最卓越者！我请问你：国王当如何护持臣民？又当如何在必要时施政与惩戒——而仍不诉诸暴力？愿你为我开示。”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ), 3rd, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• किञ्चित्: in any way; at all; something (contextual)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)

• प्रधातयेत्: should bestow/assign/dispense (e.g., punishment, taxes, duties) appropriately
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-धा (धातु) / प्रधातय् (णिजन्त-धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ), 3rd, Singular

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 1st, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (context: masculine plural), Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठ: O best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter/answer)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular

• पितामह: O grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a central problem of rājadharma: how a ruler can protect society and enforce order while minimizing or avoiding himsā (harm/violence). It invites an ethical model of governance where protection and correction are guided by dharma rather than cruelty or aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions the grandsire Bhīṣma, seeking instruction on righteous rule. Here he specifically asks how a king can safeguard the people and carry out necessary disciplinary measures without committing violence.