Shloka 6

राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान

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

Devanagari script

सतां संग्रहणं शौर्य दाक्ष्यं सत्यं प्रजाहितम्‌ अनार्जवैराज॑विश्व शत्रुपक्षस्थ भेदनम्‌

Transliteration

satāṁ saṅgrahaṇaṁ śauryaṁ dākṣyaṁ satyaṁ prajāhitaṁ | anārjavair api viśvaśatru-pakṣastha-bhedanam, yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，坚战啊，护持一国之道，系于诸般手段：聚集并礼敬贤善之士；勇武；处事干练；言行真实；恒常关怀百姓福祉；并且——在必要之时——即便运用不尽直白的权谋，也要在敌营之中制造离间与分裂。此等皆为君主用以维持纲纪、保全疆土、成就公共利益之器。”

Word by Word

• सताम्: of the good (virtuous people)
• सताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• संग्रहणम्: gathering, retaining
• संग्रहणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रहण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• शौर्यम्: valor
• शौर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• दाक्ष्यम्: skill, efficiency
• दाक्ष्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्ष्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truthfulness
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• प्रजाहितम्: welfare of the subjects
• प्रजाहितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजाहित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अनार्जवैराजविश्व: non-straightforwardness and (political) stratagems (reading uncertain)
• अनार्जवैराजविश्व: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनार्जव-एराज-विश्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• शत्रुपक्षस्थ: situated in the enemy camp/party
• शत्रुपक्षस्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रु-पक्ष-स्थ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (as compound member), Singular

• भेदनम्: splitting, causing division
• भेदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेदन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• prajā (the subjects/people)
• śatru-pakṣa (enemy faction/camp)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king protects the realm by combining moral foundations—supporting the virtuous, truthfulness, and prioritizing public welfare—with practical capacities like courage and administrative skill; and, in hostile contexts, by using strategic measures (even indirect ones) to weaken the enemy’s cohesion.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the concrete means of maintaining and defending a stable kingdom, listing key virtues and tactics expected of a ruler.