Shloka 7

Kośārtha-Rājadharma: Ethical Revenue Collection and Social Regulation (कोशार्थ-राजधर्मः)

Devanagari script

अल्पेनाल्पेन देयेन वर्धमानं प्रदापयेत्‌ ततो भूयस्ततो भूय: क्रमवृद्धि समाचरेत्‌,वह पहले थोड़ा-थोड़ा कर लेकर फिर धीरे-धीरे उसे बढ़ावे और उस बढ़े हुए करको वसूल करे। उसके बाद समयानुसार फिर उसमें थोड़ी-थोड़ी वृद्धि करते हुए क्रमश: बढ़ाता रहे (ताकि किसीको विशेष भार न जान पड़े)

Transliteration

alpenālpena deyena vardhamānaṃ pradāpayet | tato bhūyas tato bhūyaḥ kramavṛddhi samācaret ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «ليُجبَ ما يُؤدَّى أولاً بالقليل فالقليل، حتى إذا استقرّ وصار مألوفاً أُخذ على وجهه. ثم بعد ذلك، مرة بعد مرة، يُسار في زيادته بالتدرّج، درجةً بعد درجة في أوانها، كيلا يشعر الناس بعبءٍ مفاجئٍ قاهر.»

Word by Word

अल्पेनwith a small (amount)

अल्पेनby little (repeatedly)

देयेनby what is to be given / by a due (payment)

वर्धमानम्increasing, growing

प्रदापयेत्should cause (it) to be given / should levy (collect) by making pay

ततःthen, thereafter

भूयःagain, further

ततःthen

भूयःagain, more

क्रमवृद्धिम्gradual increase

समाचरेत्should practice / should carry out

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

A ruler should collect dues in a measured way: start with small amounts and increase only gradually over time, so that revenue is secured without shocking or oppressing the populace.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the king on practical and ethical statecraft—here, specifically on how to levy and raise taxes through gradual, stepwise increases.