Shloka 3

राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान

Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence

Devanagari script

भरद्वाजश्न भगवांस्तथा गौरशिरा मुनि: । राजशान्‍्त्रप्रणेतारो ब्रह्माण्या ब्रह्मवादिन:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

bharadvājaś ca bhagavāṁs tathā gauraśirā muniḥ |

rājaśāstra-praṇetāro brahmaṇyā brahmavādinaḥ ||

eteṣāṁ caiva vinā bhagavān viśālākṣaḥ mahātapāḥ śukrācāryaḥ sahasra-netro indraḥ prācetaso manuḥ |

ete sarve brāhmaṇa-bhaktā brahmavādinaś ca rājaśāstrasya praṇetāraḥ |

rājñe prajā-pālana-rūpaṁ dharmam eva praśaṁsanti |

dharmātmāsu śreṣṭha kamala-nayana yudhiṣṭhira rākṣaṇika-dharmasya sādhanāni vakṣyāmi śṛṇu ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“可敬的婆罗堕阇（Bharadvāja）与圣者高罗希罗（Gauraśiras），乃王政之学的著述者——敬奉梵（Brahman），宣说梵义。除他们之外，还有毗舍罗迦叉、首迦罗阿阇梨、千眼因陀罗、普罗切塔斯之子摩奴，以及其他诸贤：这些敬婆罗门、宣扬圣真之仙人，奠定了王道治理的原则。他们一致称颂：对君王而言，其法之形体即是护佑与养育百姓。莲眼的尤提士提罗啊，诸义人之最胜者，我今将说此护国之法赖以维系的诸般手段——听我言。”

Word by Word

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvaja
• भरद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• भगवान्: venerable, blessed
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गौरशिराः: Gaurashiras (the sage, 'white-headed')
• गौरशिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरशिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजशास्त्रप्रणेतारः: promulgators/authors of political science
• राजशास्त्रप्रणेतारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजशास्त्रप्रणेता
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मण्याः: devoted to Brahmins / pious
• ब्रह्मण्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मवादिनः: expounders of Brahman (Vedic/absolute truth)
• ब्रह्मवादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Yudhishthira (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bharadvaja (Bharadvāja)
• Gauraśiras (Gauraśirā)
• Viśālākṣa
• Śukrācārya
• Indra
• Manu (Prācetasa Manu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma grounds kingship in rākṣaṇika-dharma: the king’s foremost righteousness is protecting and sustaining the people. Political authority is validated by welfare and protection, as taught by revered rājaśāstra authorities who are aligned with Brahmanic ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on statecraft after the war. Here he cites a lineage of authoritative sages and deities associated with rājaśāstra, then announces he will explain the practical means for maintaining the king’s protective duty toward subjects.