Shloka 24

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

बाह्वायत्तं क्षत्रियैमनिवानां लोकश्रेष्ठ धर्ममासेवमानै: । सर्वे धर्मा: सोपधर्मस्त्रियाणां राज्ञो धर्मादिति वेदाच्छूणोमि

Transliteration

bāhvāyattaṃ kṣatriyair manuṣyāṇāṃ lokaśreṣṭhaṃ dharmam āsevamānaiḥ | sarve dharmāḥ sopadharmas triyāṇāṃ rājño dharmād iti vedāc chrūṇomi, rājan ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王，我从《吠陀》与诸论典（śāstra）中听闻：王法（rājadharma）系于君王臂力之威。对刹帝利而言，此乃世间至高之法；奉行此法者，护佑一切人类。因此，其他一切法——连同三姓的附属义务——唯在王法的庇护之下方能安稳。”

Word by Word

• बाहु-आयत्तम्: dependent on arm-strength
• बाहु-आयत्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियैः: by the Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मानवानाम्: of humans
• मानवानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• लोक-श्रेष्ठम्: the best in the world
• लोक-श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma, duty
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आसेवमानैः: by those practicing/observing
• आसेवमानैः: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-सेव् (धातु) / आसेवमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural, शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्माः: duties, dharmas
• धर्माः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स-उपधर्माः: together with subsidiary duties
• स-उपधर्माः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रयाणाम्: of the three
• त्रयाणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मात्: from/through the king's dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वेदात्: from the Veda
• वेदात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• शृणोमि: I hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājan (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• kṣatriya
• Veda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal duty (rājadharma) is presented as the protective framework for society: when the king (and kṣatriyas) uphold order through strength and governance, all other dharmas—including the subsidiary duties of the social orders—can be practiced safely.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on governance after the war. Here he emphasizes that the king’s responsibility to protect and enforce order is foundational, citing Vedic-śāstric authority for the primacy of rājadharma.