Shloka 77

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

दण्डेन सहिता होषा लोकरक्षणकारिका । निग्रहानुग्रहरता लोकाननुचरिष्यति

Transliteration

daṇḍena sahitā hy eṣā nītir lokarakṣaṇakārikā | nigrahānugraharatā lokān anucariṣyati ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“此治国之道，若与惩罚之杖（檀陀，daṇḍa）相辅相成，便成为护世之力。它专志于制伏恶人、优待贤者，将在社会中普遍施行，使民众各安其序。”

Word by Word

• दण्डेन: by/with punishment (rod of law)
• दण्डेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सहिता: accompanied/associated (with)
• सहिता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (√धा/हित as past participle base)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• लोक-रक्षण-कारिका: causing/providing protection of the world
• लोक-रक्षण-कारिका: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारिका (from √कृ) / लोक / रक्षण (from √रक्ष्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निग्रह-अनुग्रह-रता: devoted to restraint and favor (punishment and grace)
• निग्रह-अनुग्रह-रता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (from √रम्) / निग्रह (from √ग्रह्) / अनुग्रह (from √ग्रह्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकान्: worlds/people
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अनुचरिष्यति: will move about / will prevail / will be practiced
• अनुचरिष्यति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु√चर्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• daṇḍa (punitive authority)
• nīti (policy/statecraft)
• loka (the people/world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective and ethical governance (nīti) must be supported by daṇḍa—measured punitive authority—so that society is protected through two complementary duties: restraining wrongdoers (nigraha) and supporting the virtuous (anugraha).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on how order is maintained: policy becomes truly world-protecting when it is backed by enforceable discipline, applied firmly against the wicked and benevolently toward the good.