Shloka 19

राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)

Devanagari script

गुणवान्‌ शीलवान्‌ दान्तो मृदुर्धर्म्यो जितेन्द्रिय: । सुदर्श: स्थूललक्ष्यश्न न भ्रश्येत सदा श्रिय:

Transliteration

guṇavān śīlavān dānto mṛdur dharmyo jitendriyaḥ | sudarśaḥ sthūlalakṣyaś ca na bhraśyet sadā śriyaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：具足德行与善行的君王——能自制，性情柔和，奉持达摩，克胜诸根；仪容悦目，具广大吉祥之相——便不会从王者的昌盛与福祚中坠落。

Word by Word

• गुणवान्: possessed of virtues
• गुणवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शीलवान्: of good conduct/character
• शीलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दान्तः: self-controlled, restrained
• दान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृदुः: gentle, mild
• मृदुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्म्यः: righteous, in accordance with dharma
• धर्म्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुदर्शः: pleasant to behold, handsome
• सुदर्शः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदर्श
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थूललक्ष्यः: having prominent/large marks (auspicious features)
• स्थूललक्ष्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूललक्ष्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भ्रश्येत: would fall away / would be deprived
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रंश्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), Optative, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• श्रियाḥ: from prosperity/royal fortune (Lakshmi)
• श्रियाḥ: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Ablative, Singular

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

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king)
• Śrī (prosperity/fortune; rājya-lakṣmī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal prosperity is sustained not merely by power but by inner discipline and ethical character: virtue, good conduct, gentleness, devotion to dharma, and mastery of the senses are said to prevent a ruler’s decline from Śrī (fortune and sovereignty).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and righteousness, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira about the traits of a stable, successful ruler, asserting that a king with these qualities does not lose his royal fortune.