Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

नष्टे ब्रह्मणि धर्मे च देवांस्त्रास: समाविशत्‌ | ते त्रस्ता नरशार्दूल ब्रह्माणं शरणं ययु:

Transliteration

naṣṭe brahmaṇi dharme ca devāṁs trāsaḥ samāviśat | te trastā naraśārdūla brahmāṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ yayuḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当神圣之知（brahman/吠陀）与达摩开始衰亡时，恐惧便侵入诸天之心。人中之虎啊，他们惊惶失措，遂往梵天处求庇护。

Word by Word

• नष्टे: when (it was) destroyed
• नष्टे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (√नश्)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ब्रह्मणि: in the Veda / sacred knowledge
• ब्रह्मणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धर्मे: in dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्रासः: fear
• त्रासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समाविशत्: entered / pervaded
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√विश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रस्ताः: frightened
• त्रस्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रस्त (√त्रस्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नरशार्दूल: O tiger among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-शार्दूल
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ययुः: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devas
• Brahmā
• Naraśārdūla (epithet for the addressee, likely Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Brahman/Veda
• Dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When Vedic wisdom and dharma decline, disorder and fear arise even among the gods; the remedy is to seek the highest principled authority (Brahmā here) for the re-establishment of moral and cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a crisis: as brahman (Vedic order/knowledge) and dharma are being destroyed, the devas become frightened and approach Brahmā for protection and guidance, setting up a restoration narrative.