Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

उद्यम्य शस्त्रमायान्तमपि वेदान्तगं रणे | निगृह्नीयात्‌ स्वधर्मेण धमपिक्षी नराधिप:

Transliteration

udyamya śastram āyāntam api vedāntagam raṇe | nigṛhṇīyāt svadharmeṇa dharmāpekṣī narādhipaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“纵然此人通晓吠檀多，若在战阵中举兵而来，立志护持达摩的国王也当依其王者本分出战，制伏其人——将之拘押。”

Word by Word

• उद्यम्य: having raised
• उद्यम्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-यम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• शस्त्रम्: weapon
• शस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वेदान्तगम्: one who has reached/knows Vedānta
• वेदान्तगम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदान्तग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निगृह्नीयात्: should restrain/seize
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 3rd, Singular, present-system (injunctive/optative sense)

• स्वधर्मेण: by/according to one’s own duty
• स्वधर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्मम्: duty/law
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपि: indeed/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• क्षी: unclear (corrupt reading)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि (धातु)
• Form: पाठभ्रंश/अस्पष्ट: 'क्षी' as a finite form is not syntactically fitting here; expected reading likely 'इच्छन्/इच्छेत्/इच्छा' etc. Verse text appears corrupted at this point.

• नराधिपः: king (lord of men)
• नराधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• narādhipa (king)
• śastra (weapon)
• Vedānta (as a body of knowledge)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Learning and spiritual attainment do not exempt a person from the consequences of violent action. If someone takes up arms and advances in battle, the king must uphold rajadharma by resisting and restraining him, even if that person is a Vedānta-knower.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and dharma, he advises the ruler that when confronted by an armed aggressor on the battlefield—even a respected learned man—the king should act according to his own duty: engage appropriately and take the aggressor under control.