Mahabharata 3.149.32-52

Devanāgarī

सा चेद् धर्मक्रिया न स्यात् त्रयीधर्मम् ऋते भुवि ॥
दण्डनीतिम् ऋते चापि निर्मर्यादम् इदं भवेत् ॥
वार्ताधर्मे ह्य् अवर्तन्त्यो विनश्येयुर् इमाः प्रजाः ॥
सुप्रवृत्तैस् त्रिभिर् ह्य् एतैर् धर्मैः सूयन्ति वै प्रजाः ॥
द्विजानाम् अमृतं धर्मो ह्य् एकश् चैवैकवर्णिकः ॥
यज्ञाध्ययनदानानि त्रयः साधारणाः स्मृताः ॥
याजनाध्यापने चोभे ब्राह्मणानां प्रतिग्रहः ॥
पालनं क्षत्रियाणां वै वैश्यधर्मश् च पोषणम् ॥
शुश्रूषा तु द्विजातीनां शूद्राणां धर्म उच्यते ॥
भैक्षहोमव्रतैर् हीनास् तथैव गुरुवासिनाम् ॥
क्षत्रधर्मो ऽत्र कौन्तेय तव धर्माभिरक्षणम् ॥
स्वधर्मं प्रतिपद्यस्व विनीतो नियतेन्द्रियः ॥
वृद्धैः संमन्त्र्य सद्भिश् च बुद्धिमद्भिः श्रुतान्वितैः ॥
सुस्थितः शास्ति दण्डेन व्यसनी परिभूयते ॥
निग्रहानुग्रहैः सम्यग् यदा राजा प्रवर्तते ॥
तदा भवति लोकस्य मर्यादा सुव्यवस्थिता ॥
तस्माद् देशे च दुर्गे च शत्रुमित्रबलेषु च ॥
नित्यं चारेण बोद्धव्यं स्थानं वृद्धिः क्षयस् तथा ॥
राज्ञाम् उपायाश् चत्वारो बुद्धिमन्त्रः पराक्रमः ॥
निग्रहानुग्रहौ चैव दाक्ष्यं तत्कार्यसाधनम् ॥
साम्ना दानेन भेदेन दण्डेनोपेक्षणेन च ॥
साधनीयानि कार्याणि समासव्यासयोगतः ॥
मन्त्रमूला नयाः सर्वे चाराश् च भरतर्षभ ॥
सुमन्त्रितैर् नयैः सिद्धिस् तद्विदैः सह मन्त्रयेत् ॥
स्त्रिया मूढेन लुब्धेन बालेन लघुना तथा ॥
न मन्त्रयेत गुह्यानि येषु चोन्मादलक्षणम् ॥
मन्त्रयेत् सह विद्वद्भिः शक्तैः कर्माणि कारयेत् ॥
स्निग्धैश् च नीतिविन्यासान् मूर्खान् सर्वत्र वर्जयेत् ॥
धार्मिकान् धर्मकार्येषु अर्थकार्येषु पण्डितान् ॥
स्त्रीषु क्लीबान् नियुञ्जीत क्रूरान् क्रूरेषु कर्मसु ॥
स्वेभ्यश् चैव परेभ्यश् च कार्याकार्यसमुद्भवा ॥
बुद्धिः कर्मसु विज्ञेया रिपूणां च बलाबलम् ॥
बुद्ध्या सुप्रतिपन्नेषु कुर्यात् साधुपरिग्रहम् ॥
निग्रहं चाप्य् अशिष्टेषु निर्मर्यादेषु कारयेत् ॥
निग्रहे प्रग्रहे सम्यग् यदा राजा प्रवर्तते ॥
तदा भवति लोकस्य मर्यादा सुव्यवस्थिता ॥
एष ते विहितः पार्थ घोरो धर्मो दुरन्वयः ॥
तं स्वधर्मविभागेन विनयस्थो ऽनुपालय ॥
तपोधर्मदमेज्याभिर् विप्रा यान्ति यथा दिवम् ॥
दानातिथ्यक्रियाधर्मैर् यान्ति वैश्याश् च सद्गतिम् ॥
क्षत्रं याति तथा स्वर्गं भुवि निग्रहपालनैः ॥
सम्यक् प्रणीय दण्डं हि कामद्वेषविवर्जिताः ॥
अलुब्धा विगतक्रोधाः सतां यान्ति सलोकताम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sā ced dharmakriyā na syāt trayīdharmam ṛte bhuvi ||
daṇḍanītim ṛte cāpi nirmaryādam idaṃ bhavet ||
vārtādharme hy avartantyo vinaśyeyur imāḥ prajāḥ ||
supravṛttais tribhir hy etair dharmaiḥ sūyanti vai prajāḥ ||
dvijānām amṛtaṃ dharmo hy ekaś caivaikavarṇikaḥ ||
yajñādhyayanadānāni trayaḥ sādhāraṇāḥ smṛtāḥ ||
yājanādhyāpane cobhe brāhmaṇānāṃ pratigrahaḥ ||
pālanaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ vai vaiśyadharmaś ca poṣaṇam ||
śuśrūṣā tu dvijātīnāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ dharma ucyate ||
bhaikṣahomavratair hīnās tathaiva guruvāsinām ||
kṣatradharmo 'tra kaunteya tava dharmābhirakṣaṇam ||
svadharmaṃ pratipadyasva vinīto niyatendriyaḥ ||
vṛddhaiḥ saṃmantrya sadbhiś ca buddhimadbhiḥ śrutānvitaiḥ ||
susthitaḥ śāsti daṇḍena vyasanī paribhūyate ||
nigrahānugrahaiḥ samyag yadā rājā pravartate ||
tadā bhavati lokasya maryādā suvyavasthitā ||
tasmād deśe ca durge ca śatrumitrabaleṣu ca ||
nityaṃ cāreṇa boddhavyaṃ sthānaṃ vṛddhiḥ kṣayas tathā ||
rājñām upāyāś catvāro buddhimantraḥ parākramaḥ ||
nigrahānugrahau caiva dākṣyaṃ tatkāryasādhanam ||
sāmnā dānena bhedena daṇḍenopekṣaṇena ca ||
sādhanīyāni kāryāṇi samāsavyāsayogataḥ ||
mantramūlā nayāḥ sarve cārāś ca bharatarṣabha ||
sumantritair nayaiḥ siddhis tadvidaiḥ saha mantrayet ||
striyā mūḍhena lubdhena bālena laghunā tathā ||
na mantrayeta guhyāni yeṣu conmādalakṣaṇam ||
mantrayet saha vidvadbhiḥ śaktaiḥ karmāṇi kārayet ||
snigdhaiś ca nītivinyāsān mūrkhān sarvatra varjayet ||
dhārmikān dharmakāryeṣu arthakāryeṣu paṇḍitān ||
strīṣu klībān niyuñjīta krūrān krūreṣu karmasu ||
svebhyaś caiva parebhyaś ca kāryākāryasamudbhavā ||
buddhiḥ karmasu vijñeyā ripūṇāṃ ca balābalam ||
buddhyā supratipanneṣu kuryāt sādhuparigraham ||
nigrahaṃ cāpy aśiṣṭeṣu nirmaryādeṣu kārayet ||
nigrahe pragrahe samyag yadā rājā pravartate ||
tadā bhavati lokasya maryādā suvyavasthitā ||
eṣa te vihitaḥ pārtha ghoro dharmo duranvayaḥ ||
taṃ svadharmavibhāgena vinayastho 'nupālaya ||
tapodharmadamejyābhir viprā yānti yathā divam ||
dānātithyakriyādharmair yānti vaiśyāś ca sadgatim ||
kṣatraṃ yāti tathā svargaṃ bhuvi nigrahapālanaiḥ ||
samyak praṇīya daṇḍaṃ hi kāmadveṣavivarjitāḥ ||
alubdhā vigatakrodhāḥ satāṃ yānti salokatām ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

सा चेद् धर्मक्रिया न स्यात् त्रयीधर्मम् ऋते भुवि ॥ दण्डनीतिम् ऋते चापि निर्मर्यादम् इदं भवेत् ॥ वार्ताधर्मे ह्य् अवर्तन्त्यो विनश्येयुर् इमाः प्रजाः ॥ सुप्रवृत्तैस् त्रिभिर् ह्य् एतैर् धर्मैः सूयन्ति वै प्रजाः ॥ द्विजानाम् अमृतं धर्मो ह्य् एकश् चैवैकवर्णिकः ॥ यज्ञाध्ययनदानानि त्रयः साधारणाः स्मृताः ॥ याजनाध्यापने चोभे ब्राह्मणानां प्रतिग्रहः ॥ पालनं क्षत्रियाणां वै वैश्यधर्मश् च पोषणम् ॥ शुश्रूषा तु द्विजातीनां शूद्राणां धर्म उच्यते ॥ भैक्षहोमव्रतैर् हीनास् तथैव गुरुवासिनाम् ॥ क्षत्रधर्मो ऽत्र कौन्तेय तव धर्माभिरक्षणम् ॥ स्वधर्मं प्रतिपद्यस्व विनीतो नियतेन्द्रियः ॥ वृद्धैः संमन्त्र्य सद्भिश् च बुद्धिमद्भिः श्रुतान्वितैः ॥ सुस्थितः शास्ति दण्डेन व्यसनी परिभूयते ॥ निग्रहानुग्रहैः सम्यग् यदा राजा प्रवर्तते ॥ तदा भवति लोकस्य मर्यादा सुव्यवस्थिता ॥ तस्माद् देशे च दुर्गे च शत्रुमित्रबलेषु च ॥ नित्यं चारेण बोद्धव्यं स्थानं वृद्धिः क्षयस् तथा ॥ राज्ञाम् उपायाश् चत्वारो बुद्धिमन्त्रः पराक्रमः ॥ निग्रहानुग्रहौ चैव दाक्ष्यं तत्कार्यसाधनम् ॥ साम्ना दानेन भेदेन दण्डेनोपेक्षणेन च ॥ साधनीयानि कार्याणि समासव्यासयोगतः ॥ मन्त्रमूला नयाः सर्वे चाराश् च भरतर्षभ ॥ सुमन्त्रितैर् नयैः सिद्धिस् तद्विदैः सह मन्त्रयेत् ॥ स्त्रिया मूढेन लुब्धेन बालेन लघुना तथा ॥ न मन्त्रयेत गुह्यानि येषु चोन्मादलक्षणम् ॥ मन्त्रयेत् सह विद्वद्भिः शक्तैः कर्माणि कारयेत् ॥ स्निग्धैश् च नीतिविन्यासान् मूर्खान् सर्वत्र वर्जयेत् ॥ धार्मिकान् धर्मकार्येषु अर्थकार्येषु पण्डितान् ॥ स्त्रीषु क्लीबान् नियुञ्जीत क्रूरान् क्रूरेषु कर्मसु ॥ स्वेभ्यश् चैव परेभ्यश् च कार्याकार्यसमुद्भवा ॥ बुद्धिः कर्मसु विज्ञेया रिपूणां च बलाबलम् ॥ बुद्ध्या सुप्रतिपन्नेषु कुर्यात् साधुपरिग्रहम् ॥ निग्रहं चाप्य् अशिष्टेषु निर्मर्यादेषु कारयेत् ॥ निग्रहे प्रग्रहे सम्यग् यदा राजा प्रवर्तते ॥ तदा भवति लोकस्य मर्यादा सुव्यवस्थिता ॥ एष ते विहितः पार्थ घोरो धर्मो दुरन्वयः ॥ तं स्वधर्मविभागेन विनयस्थो ऽनुपालय ॥ तपोधर्मदमेज्याभिर् विप्रा यान्ति यथा दिवम् ॥ दानातिथ्यक्रियाधर्मैर् यान्ति वैश्याश् च सद्गतिम् ॥ क्षत्रं याति तथा स्वर्गं भुवि निग्रहपालनैः ॥ सम्यक् प्रणीय दण्डं हि कामद्वेषविवर्जिताः ॥ अलुब्धा विगतक्रोधाः सतां यान्ति सलोकताम् ॥sā ced dharmakriyā na syāt trayīdharmam ṛte bhuvi || daṇḍanītim ṛte cāpi nirmaryādam idaṃ bhavet || vārtādharme hy avartantyo vinaśyeyur imāḥ prajāḥ || supravṛttais tribhir hy etair dharmaiḥ sūyanti vai prajāḥ || dvijānām amṛtaṃ dharmo hy ekaś caivaikavarṇikaḥ || yajñādhyayanadānāni trayaḥ sādhāraṇāḥ smṛtāḥ || yājanādhyāpane cobhe brāhmaṇānāṃ pratigrahaḥ || pālanaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ vai vaiśyadharmaś ca poṣaṇam || śuśrūṣā tu dvijātīnāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ dharma ucyate || bhaikṣahomavratair hīnās tathaiva guruvāsinām || kṣatradharmo 'tra kaunteya tava dharmābhirakṣaṇam || svadharmaṃ pratipadyasva vinīto niyatendriyaḥ || vṛddhaiḥ saṃmantrya sadbhiś ca buddhimadbhiḥ śrutānvitaiḥ || susthitaḥ śāsti daṇḍena vyasanī paribhūyate || nigrahānugrahaiḥ samyag yadā rājā pravartate || tadā bhavati lokasya maryādā suvyavasthitā || tasmād deśe ca durge ca śatrumitrabaleṣu ca || nityaṃ cāreṇa boddhavyaṃ sthānaṃ vṛddhiḥ kṣayas tathā || rājñām upāyāś catvāro buddhimantraḥ parākramaḥ || nigrahānugrahau caiva dākṣyaṃ tatkāryasādhanam || sāmnā dānena bhedena daṇḍenopekṣaṇena ca || sādhanīyāni kāryāṇi samāsavyāsayogataḥ || mantramūlā nayāḥ sarve cārāś ca bharatarṣabha || sumantritair nayaiḥ siddhis tadvidaiḥ saha mantrayet || striyā mūḍhena lubdhena bālena laghunā tathā || na mantrayeta guhyāni yeṣu conmādalakṣaṇam || mantrayet saha vidvadbhiḥ śaktaiḥ karmāṇi kārayet || snigdhaiś ca nītivinyāsān mūrkhān sarvatra varjayet || dhārmikān dharmakāryeṣu arthakāryeṣu paṇḍitān || strīṣu klībān niyuñjīta krūrān krūreṣu karmasu || svebhyaś caiva parebhyaś ca kāryākāryasamudbhavā || buddhiḥ karmasu vijñeyā ripūṇāṃ ca balābalam || buddhyā supratipanneṣu kuryāt sādhuparigraham || nigrahaṃ cāpy aśiṣṭeṣu nirmaryādeṣu kārayet || nigrahe pragrahe samyag yadā rājā pravartate || tadā bhavati lokasya maryādā suvyavasthitā || eṣa te vihitaḥ pārtha ghoro dharmo duranvayaḥ || taṃ svadharmavibhāgena vinayastho 'nupālaya || tapodharmadamejyābhir viprā yānti yathā divam || dānātithyakriyādharmair yānti vaiśyāś ca sadgatim || kṣatraṃ yāti tathā svargaṃ bhuvi nigrahapālanaiḥ || samyak praṇīya daṇḍaṃ hi kāmadveṣavivarjitāḥ || alubdhā vigatakrodhāḥ satāṃ yānti salokatām ||Hanuman continues: the dharma of the brahmanas is their nectar of immortality and is one for their own varna circle; sacrifice, study and giving are held in common; performing sacrifice for others, teaching and accepting gifts belong to the brahmanas, protection to the kshatriyas, sustaining is the dharma of the vaishyas, and service to the twice-born is the dharma of the shudras; Bhima's kshatriya dharma here is the protection of dharma, and he should accept his own dharma humbly and with restrained senses; a king who takes counsel with elders, with the good, the wise and the learned rules firmly through punishment, while one given over to vice is despised; when a king acts rightly with punishment and favor, the boundary of the world is established; therefore one must constantly learn through spies the state, growth and decline of one's country, fortresses, and the strength of enemy and friend; kings have four means: wise counsel, might, punishment and favor, and skill in accomplishing the task; tasks should be carried out through conciliation, gifts, division, punishment and waiting, both briefly and in detail; all methods are rooted in counsel, as are spies; success lies in well-considered methods, and one must take counsel with those who know; secret matters should not be discussed with a woman, a fool, a greedy person, a child, a frivolous one, or one showing signs of madness; one should take counsel with the learned, entrust tasks to the capable, share political plans with those close to oneself, and avoid fools; in matters of dharma appoint the dharmic, in matters of profit the wise, in matters of women the eunuchs, in cruel matters the cruel; in all affairs one must know the intent that arises among one's own people and among strangers from what is proper and improper, and the strength of enemies; toward those well disposed one should receive the good, while the disobedient and those crossing boundaries must be restrained; when a king acts rightly in restraint and support, the world is stable; this is the terrible and difficult dharma of the kshatriya established for Bhima, and it must be observed according to the division of one's own dharma, standing in humility; just as the viprs go to heaven through austerity, dharma, self-restraint and sacrifice, and the vaishyas by the good path through giving, hospitality and dharma, so the kshatriya goes to heaven by restraining and protecting on earth, rightly applying punishment, free from desire, hatred, greed and anger, attaining the world of the virtuous.

Translation

'The dharma of the twice-born is their nectar of immortality; it is one and single for its own circle. Sacrifice, study, and giving are held to be the three duties common to all. Performing sacrifice for others, teaching, and accepting gifts belong to the brahmanas; protection belongs to the kshatriyas; sustaining belongs to the dharma of the vaishyas. Service to the twice-born is called the dharma of the shudras. Here, O Kaunteya, your kshatriya dharma is the guarding of dharma. Accept your own dharma, humble and with senses restrained. A king who takes counsel with elders, with the good, the wise and the learned, and who stands firm, rules through punishment; one given over to vice is held in contempt. When a king acts rightly through restraint and favor, then the boundary of the world becomes well established. Therefore, in one's own country, in fortresses, and regarding the strength of enemies and friends, one must constantly learn through spies the state of things, its growth and decline. Kings have four means: wise counsel, might, restraint and favor; skill lies in accomplishing the needed task. Through conciliation, gifts, division, punishment and watchful waiting, tasks are to be accomplished, joining the brief approach with the detailed one. All methods, best of the Bharatas, are rooted in counsel; so are spies. Success comes through well-considered methods; one should take counsel with those who know. With a woman, a fool, a greedy man, a child, a frivolous person, and one who shows signs of madness, secret matters should not be discussed. Take counsel with the learned; entrust tasks to the capable; share political designs with those close to you; avoid fools everywhere. In matters of dharma, appoint the righteous; in matters of profit, the wise; in matters concerning women, eunuchs; in cruel tasks, the cruel. In all undertakings one must discern the intent arising among one's own people and among strangers from what is proper and improper, as well as the strength and weakness of enemies. Toward those well disposed in mind, one should receive the good; the disobedient and those who transgress boundaries must be restrained. When a king acts rightly in restraint and support, then the boundary of the world becomes well established. This, Partha, is the terrible dharma ordained for you, difficult to follow. Observe it according to the division of your own dharma, standing in humility. Just as brahmanas go to heaven through austerity, dharma, self-control and sacrifice, and as vaishyas go by the good path through giving, hospitality and dharmic deeds, so too the kshatriya goes to heaven through restraint and protection on earth: rightly applying punishment, free from desire and hatred, without greed, rid of anger, they attain the same world as the virtuous.'

Commentary

Hanuman's instruction makes Bhima not only a mighty warrior but a bearer of royal order. Kshatriya power is sacred only when it guards the boundaries of dharma without personal greed or anger.

Version

1c82ff0e1737 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:44 PM UTC

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