Shloka 3

Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच चतुर्विधानि मित्राणि राज्ञां राजन्‌ भवन्त्युत । सहार्थो भजमानश्न सहज: कृत्रिमस्तथा,भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन्‌! राजाके सहायक या मित्र चार प्रकारके होते हैं--१-सहार्थ २-भजमान ३-सहज और ४-कृत्रिम-

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca caturvidhāni mitrāṇi rājñāṃ rājan bhavanty uta | sahārtho bhajamānaś ca sahajaḥ kṛtrimas tathā ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «أيها الملك، إن أعوان الملوك وأصدقاءهم أربعة أصناف: (1) صديقُ المصلحة المشتركة (sahārtha)، (2) التابعُ المخلصُ الملتصق بالخدمة (bhajamāna)، (3) الصديقُ الطبيعيّ الناشئ عن قرابةٍ أو رابطةٍ قديمة (sahaja)، و(4) الصديقُ المصنوعُ بعقدٍ وتدبير (kṛtrima).»

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

चतुर्विधानिfourfold (of four kinds)

मित्राणिfriends, allies

राज्ञाम्of kings

राजन्O king

भवन्तिare, become

उतindeed, also

सहार्थःthe ally for mutual benefit (lit. with a purpose/interest)

भजमानःone who associates/serves (seeking share/benefit)

चand

सहजःnatural/innate friend (born together, by nature)

कृत्रिमःartificial/contrived friend

तथाthus, likewise

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

rājan (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that a king’s friendships are not all of one kind; they arise from shared interests, devoted following, natural bonds, or deliberate political construction. Sound governance requires discerning which type of friend one has, since each implies different motives and reliability.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma addresses the king and begins a classification of royal allies, listing four categories as a framework for evaluating relationships in politics and rule.