Shloka 65

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

तथा जनपदाश्रैव पुरं च कुरुनन्दन । एतत्‌ सप्तात्मकं राज्यं परिपाल्यं प्रयत्नत:

Transliteration

tathā janapadāś caiva puraṁ ca kurunandana | etat saptātmakaṁ rājyaṁ paripālyaṁ prayatnataḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“同样地，俱卢之喜啊，乡野之地（国中百姓与田土）与王都城邑也必须护持。此国由七种要肢构成，因此当以警醒之力竭诚守护。”

Word by Word

• {'tathā': 'likewise

• in the same manner', 'janapadāḥ': 'territories and their people

• the realm/countryside (districts)', 'ca eva': 'and indeed

• also', 'puram': 'city

• capital/fortified town', 'kurunandana': 'O Kurus’ delight (address to the Kuru prince, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'etat': 'this', 'saptātmakaṁ': 'having seven constituents

• seven-limbed', 'rājyam': 'kingdom

• state', 'paripālyam': 'to be protected/maintained

• to be governed and preserved', 'prayatnataḥ': 'with effort

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kurunandana (Yudhishthira)
• janapada (realm/territory)
• pura (city/capital)
• rājya (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must preserve the kingdom as a seven-part organism (saptātmaka/saptāṅga): governance is sustained by protecting its key supports—especially the realm (janapada) and the city (pura)—with constant diligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadhrama, Bhishma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and continues outlining what a ruler must safeguard, emphasizing that the state has essential limbs and must be maintained through careful, sustained effort.