Shloka 27

राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order

Devanagari script

यं च धर्म चरिष्यन्ति प्रजा राज्ञा सुरक्षिता: | चतुर्थ तस्य धर्मस्य त्वत्संस्थं वै भविष्यति

Transliteration

yaṃ ca dharmaṃ cariṣyanti prajā rājñā surakṣitāḥ | caturthaṃ tasya dharmasya tvatsaṃsthaṃ vai bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“当百姓在国王的周全护佑之下而奉行的法（dharma）——在那法之中，足足四分之一的功德，确实将归于你身。”

Word by Word

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteous conduct
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चरिष्यन्ति: will practice/observe
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुरक्षिताः: well-protected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-रक्षित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth (part)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• त्वत्-संस्थम्: resting/depending on you
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वत्-संस्थ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• भविष्यति: will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• subjects/people (prajāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s protective governance is ethically causative: when subjects live securely and follow dharma, a significant portion of that merit and responsibility is attributed to the ruler, because public righteousness depends on royal protection and order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on rajadharma. Here he emphasizes that the king is not merely a private moral agent; by safeguarding the people, he becomes a direct stakeholder in the dharma they are able to practice.