Shloka 74

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

Devanagari script

(श्लोकाश्लोशनसा गीतास्तान्‌ निबोध युधिष्छिर । दण्डनीतेश्व यन्मूलं त्रिवर्गस्थ च भूपते ।।

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |

daṇḍanītiś ca rājā ca samastau tāv ubhāv api |

kasyā kiṁ kurvataḥ siddhyet tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

由提施提罗说道：“祖父啊，刑政之学（daṇḍanīti）与国王二者同为一体而运作。请告诉我：治国之成就究竟由谁以何种作为而得？”

Word by Word

• श्लोकाः: verses
• श्लोकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• श्लोशनसाः: praiseworthy/commendatory (epithet of verses; reading uncertain)
• श्लोशनसाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लोशनस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गीताः: sung/uttered
• गीताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीता
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तान्: those (verses)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निबोध: understand/listen
• निबोध: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-बुध्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दण्डनीतेषु: in matters of polity/punitive governance
• दण्डनीतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डनीति
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मूलम्: root/foundation
• मूलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिवर्गस्थम्: situated in the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)
• त्रिवर्गस्थम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिवर्गस्थ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भार्गव: Bhārgava (Śukra)
• भार्गव: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अधिरसम्: superior essence/juice (reading uncertain)
• अधिरसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिरस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: action/means
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• षोडशाङ्गम्: sixteen-limbed (having sixteen parts)
• षोडशाङ्गम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशाङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बलम्: strength/power
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विषम्: poison
• विषम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• माया: deception/strategy
• माया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• दैवम्: fate/divine factor
• दैवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• पौरुषम्: human effort/valor
• पौरुषम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अर्थसिद्धये: for accomplishment of purpose/wealth
• अर्थसिद्धये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थसिद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

• प्राक्: eastward/in the east
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक्

• उदक्: northward/in the north
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उदक्

• प्रवर्णम्: sloping/low-lying (reading uncertain)
• प्रवर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुर्गम्: fort
• दुर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समासाद्य: having approached/obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• महीपतिः: the king
• महीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिवर्गत्रयसम्पूर्णम्: fully furnished with the threefold triad of aims (reading/interpretation uncertain)
• त्रिवर्गत्रयसम्पूर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिवर्गत्रयसम्पूर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपादाय: having taken/accepted
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• तम्: that (fort/arrangement)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उद्धहेत्: should bear/undertake
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• Daṇḍanīti
• Rājā (the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective rule is not achieved by a king alone or by abstract policy alone: success arises from their coordinated functioning—personal leadership and moral agency on one side, and the structured system of law, discipline, and measured punishment on the other.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue on kingship, Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to clarify the division of responsibility between the ruler and daṇḍanīti: which of the two must do what so that governance and its aims are actually fulfilled.