Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 15

Yogakṣema, Purohita, and the Mucukunda–Vaiśravaṇa Dialogue (योगक्षेम–पुरोहित–मुचुकुन्दवैश्रवणसंवादः)

Devanagari script

ताभ्यां सम्भूय कर्तव्यं प्रजानां परिपालनम्‌ | तथा च मां प्रवर्तन्तं कि गर्हस्यलकाधिप

Transliteration

tābhyāṃ sambhūya kartavyaṃ prajānāṃ paripālanam | tathā ca māṃ pravartantaṃ kiṃ garhasy alakādhipa ||

Translation

“阿拉迦之主啊！因此，护佑百姓之事，当由婆罗门与刹帝利同心共行。我亦正依此政道而行；你为何反而责难于我？”

Word by Word

• ताभ्याम्: by those two (by both of them)
• ताभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, तृतीया, द्विवचन

• सम्भूय: having come together / jointly
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय), कर्तरि

• कर्तव्यम्: is to be done / must be done
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्, नपुंसक, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects / people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• परिपालनम्: protection / governance
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + पाल (धातु) / परिपालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: ल्युट् (भाववाचक-नाम), नपुंसक, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: thus / in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तन्तम्: acting / proceeding (so)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त), पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किम्: why? / what?
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गर्हसि: do you censure / blame
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अलकाधिप: O lord of Alakā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलकाधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

धनद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Alakā
• Alakādhipa/Alakāpati (lord of Alakā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Good governance (prajā-paripālana) is presented as a shared duty requiring cooperation between Brahmins (guidance, counsel, dharma) and Kshatriyas (executive protection and rule). Ethical action is defended by appealing to established policy aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhanada addresses the lord of Alakā, asserting that he is acting according to the proper principle of joint Brahmin–Kshatriya responsibility for protecting subjects, and questions why he is being criticized despite following that dharmic norm.