Shloka 23

दुर्ग-निवेश-राजधर्मः | Fortified Capital and the King’s Residential Polity

Rājadharma

Devanagari script

यष्टव्यं क्रतुभिर्नित्यं दातव्यं चाप्पपीडया । प्रजानां रक्षणं कार्य न कार्य धर्मबाधकम्‌

Transliteration

yaṣṭavyaṃ kratubhir nityaṃ dātavyaṃ cāppīḍayā | prajānāṃ rakṣaṇaṃ kāryaṃ na kāryaṃ dharmabādhakam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“当常行祭祀，亦当施与布施，却不可使他人受苦。务必护佑百姓，不可为任何阻碍或损害达摩之事。”

Word by Word

• यष्टव्यम्: should be sacrificed / one should perform sacrifice
• यष्टव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्, Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Obligative/necessity (कर्तव्यता)

• क्रतुभिः: by sacrifices/rites
• क्रतुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नित्यम्: always, regularly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• दातव्यम्: should be given (as charity)
• दातव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्, Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Obligative/necessity (कर्तव्यता)

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

• अप्पपीडया: without affliction; without causing pain (lit. by non-harming)
• अप्पपीडया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-पीडा (प्रातिपदिक) / पीड् (धातु) से भाव
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects/people
• प्रजानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• रक्षणम्: protection
• रक्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; √रक्ष् से भाव)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कार्यम्: is to be done; should be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: यत् (कार्य), Neuter, Nominative, Singular, to be done / ought to be done

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• कार्यम्: should be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: यत् (कार्य), Neuter, Nominative, Singular, to be done / ought to be done

• धर्मबाधकम्: that which obstructs dharma
• धर्मबाधकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-बाधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• prajā (the subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual merit (yajña) and generosity (dāna) must be practiced consistently, but never at the cost of harming others; the ruler’s foremost duty is protection of the people, and any action that blocks dharma is to be avoided.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Bhishma continues advising on dharma: he links personal religious duties (sacrifice and giving) with public responsibility (protecting subjects) and sets a clear limit—no religious or political act is justified if it violates dharma by causing harm.