Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

दुर्गेषु च महाराज षट्सु ये शास्त्रनिश्चिता: । सर्वदुर्गेषु मन्यन्ते नरदुर्ग सुदुस्तरम्‌

Transliteration

durgeṣu ca mahārāja ṣaṭsu ye śāstra-niścitāḥ | sarva-durgeṣu manyante nara-durgaṃ sudustaram ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“大王啊，通达并坚守诸论典（śāstra）定论者，言有六种堡垒。在一切堡垒之中，他们以‘人之堡垒’——由人众构成的防卫——为最难攻破。”

Word by Word

• {'durgeṣu': 'in fortresses

• in strongholds (locative plural of durga)', 'mahārāja': 'O great king (address)', 'ṣaṭsu': 'in six

• among six (locative plural of ṣaṭ)', 'ye': 'those who', 'śāstra-niścitāḥ': 'those whose views are settled/ascertained by the śāstras

• learned in authoritative doctrine', 'sarva-durgeṣu': 'among/in all fortresses', 'manyante': 'they think

• they consider', 'nara-durgam': 'the human fortress

• a fortification made of/defended by men', 'sudustaram': 'very hard to cross/overcome

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective defense and security ultimately depend most on people—trained, loyal, and organized human resources—more than on terrain or physical fortifications; hence the ‘human fortress’ is deemed the most formidable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhīṣma advises the king on principles of governance and protection of the realm, citing śāstric classifications of fortresses and emphasizing the superiority of manpower-based defense.