Shloka 3
Purohita-Niyoga and the Brahma–Kṣatra Concord
Aila–Kaśyapa Saṃvāda
(तेषामर्थश्न कामश्न धर्मश्षेति विनिश्चय: । श्लोकांश्वोशनसा गीतांस्तान् निबोध युधिष्ठिर ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | teṣām arthaś ca kāmaś ca dharmaś ceti viniścayaḥ | ślokān uśanasā gītāṁs tān nibodha yudhiṣṭhira || ucchiṣṭaḥ sa bhaved rājā yasya nāsti purohitaḥ | rakṣasām asurāṇāṁ ca piśācoragapakṣiṇām | śatrūṇāṁ ca bhaved vadhyo yasya nāsti purohitaḥ || brūyāt kāryāṇi satataṁ mahotpātāni yāni ca | iṣṭamaṇḍalikayuktāni tathā antaḥpurikāṇi ca || gītanṛttādhikāreṣu sammāteṣu mahīpateḥ | kartavyaṁ karaṇīyaṁ vai vaiśvadevabalis tathā || nakṣatrasya anukūlyena yaḥ sañjāto nareśvaraḥ | rājaśāstravinītaś ca śreyān rājñaḥ purohitaḥ || athānyānāṁ nimittānām utpātānām athārthavit | śatrupakṣakṣayajñaś ca śreyān sa jñaḥ purohitaḥ || ubhau prajā vardhayato devān sarvān sutān pitṝn | bhaveyātāṁ sthitau dharme śraddheyau sutapāsvinau ||
毗湿摩说道：“对国王与其国土而言，达摩、利（artha）与欲（kāma）的成就必然可得。尤提士提罗啊，且听乌沙那（即舍迦罗阿阇黎，Śukrācārya）所歌之偈：无王家祭司（purohita）之王，便成‘余食’（uśchiṣṭa）——如残余之物，不复清净；在祭仪上不堪任用，在政事上亦易受侵害。此等国王，便成诸敌可击之的：罗刹、阿修罗、毗舍遮、龙蛇（nāga）、飞鸟（以凶兆与祸害之媒介），以及人间仇敌。 故祭司当常以国政所必行之事告王：日常应办之政务，将至之大凶兆与灾变，王所欲成之事，及与曼荼罗（maṇḍala，邦域/附庸圈）相关之事务，并内廷之诸般情状。凡王所喜之事，如歌舞之属，祭司当指示其所当为；并当主持诸供献，如毗湿瓦提婆（vaiśvadeva）与巴利（bali）之祭。 纵使国王生于吉宿，且受王道政术之训，其祭司仍当在明断上胜之：通晓征兆与异变，亦知削弱并摧毁敌党之方略。若王与祭司同立于达摩，可信而能苦行自持，则二者合力使民众增长，令诸天与祖灵满足，从而为子嗣与臣民奠定昌盛。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s legitimacy, purity, and security depend on having a competent purohita who unites ritual authority with political discernment—guiding daily duties, rites, auspicious timing, and interpreting omens to protect the realm and uphold dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira by citing verses attributed to Uśanas (Śukrācārya), emphasizing that a king without a purohita becomes impure and vulnerable, while a dharmic partnership between king and priest brings prosperity to subjects and satisfaction to gods and ancestors.