Shloka 11

Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत््वेन भरतर्षभ । कृत्स्नं तन्मे यथातत्त्व॑ प्रत्रूहि वदतां वर

Transliteration

etad icchāmy ahaṁ śrotuṁ tattvena bharatarṣabha | kṛtsnaṁ tan me yathātattvaṁ prabrūhi vadatāṁ vara ||

Translation

尤提士提罗说道：“噢，婆罗多族中的雄牛，我愿按其真实本质听闻此事。噢，毗多摩诃，诸说者之最，请如实、详尽而准确地为我阐明——其中全部真相。”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• तत्त्वेन: in truth / truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• भरतर्षभ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कृत्स्नम्: entire / whole
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• यथा: as / in the manner that
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तत्त्वम्: the truth / reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रब्रूहि: tell / explain
• प्रब्रूहि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वदताम्: of those who speak
• वदताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर: O best
• वर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• भरतश्रेष्ठ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bharatarṣabha (honorific addressee, traditionally Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva)
• Vadatāṁ vara (best of speakers; traditionally Bhīṣma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: a ruler seeks not partial opinions but the complete truth (tattva) and asks for a precise, undistorted explanation (yathātattvam), emphasizing intellectual honesty and ethical clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the revered instructor (commonly Bhīṣma) and requests a full, truthful account of the matter under discussion, setting up a detailed teaching that follows.