Shloka 3

Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)

Devanagari script

केन वै वर्धते राष्ट्र राजा केन विवर्धते । केन पौराश्च भृत्याश्न वर्धन्ते भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kena vai vardhate rāṣṭraṁ rājā kena vivardhate | kena paurāś ca bhṛtyāś ca vardhante bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“以何种方法，国度才能真正兴盛？以何种方法，君王才能更臻昌盛？又以何种方法，城中百姓与那些应受供养的依附之人也能同得繁荣，噢，婆罗多族中的雄牛？”

Word by Word

• केन: by what (means)
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• वर्धते: grows / prospers
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध्
• Form: present indicative (lat), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada

• राष्ट्रम्: the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• केन: by what (means)
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• विवर्धते: increases / flourishes
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + वृध्
• Form: present indicative (lat), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada

• केन: by what (means)
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• पौराः: townsmen/citizens
• पौराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

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

• भृत्याः: servants/retainers
• भृत्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• वर्धन्ते: grow / prosper
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध्
• Form: present indicative (lat), 3rd, plural, ātmanepada

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharatarṣabha (addressee, a Bharata prince/king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a central Rajadharma inquiry: the prosperity of the realm, the ruler, and the people is not accidental but depends on specific causes—right governance, just policy, and proper maintenance of dependents—inviting a dharmic analysis of what makes a state flourish.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and peace, Vaiśampāyana poses (or reports) a set of guiding questions to a Bharata leader about the means by which the kingdom, the king, and the citizens/retainers increase in well-being, setting up the ensuing counsel on statecraft and duty.