Shloka 44

राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्

Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable

Devanagari script

यमो यच्छति भूतानि सर्वाण्येवाविशेषत: । तथा राज्ञानुकर्तव्यं यन्तव्या विधिवत्‌ प्रजा:

Transliteration

yamo yacchati bhūtāni sarvāṇy evāviśeṣataḥ | tathā rājñānukartavyaṃ yantavyā vidhivat prajāḥ ||

Translation

正如阎摩以不偏不倚之心约束并统御一切众生，国王亦当如是：依正法与法度，严整而公正地治理全体臣民，不得有所歧视。

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama (the god of death/justice)
• यमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यच्छति: restrains, controls, governs
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूतानि: beings, creatures
• भूतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अविशेषतः: without distinction, impartially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविशेषतस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-निर्माण)

• तथा: thus, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनुकर्तव्यम्: should be done/imitated (ought to be followed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + कृ (धातु) → अनुकर्तव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यन्तव्याः: are to be restrained/controlled
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) → यन्तव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• विधिवत्: according to rule, duly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत्

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• King (rājā)
• Subjects (prajā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must govern like Yama—impartially and without favoritism—restraining and regulating all subjects according to established law and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, the sage Utathya advises the ruler by presenting Yama as the model of even-handed authority, urging lawful and unbiased governance over the entire populace.