Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दशसूनासमं चक्रं दशचक्रसमो ध्वज: । दशध्वजसमा वेश्या दशवेश्यासमो नृप:,दस कसाइयोंके समान एक तेली, दस तेलियोंके समान एक कलवार, दस कलवारोंके समान एक वेश्या और दस वेश्याओंके समान एक राजा है

Transliteration

daśasūnāsamaṃ cakraṃ daśacakrasamo dhvajaḥ | daśadhvajasamā veśyā daśaveśyāsamo nṛpaḥ ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন—একজন তেলি দশজন কসাইয়ের সমান; একজন মদ-বিক্রেতা/কলবার দশজন তেলির সমান; একজন বারাঙ্গনা দশজন কলবারের সমান; আর একজন রাজা দশজন বারাঙ্গনার সমান বলে গণ্য।

Word by Word

• दश: ten
• दश: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: —, —, —

• सूनासमम्: equal to (a) butcher
• सूनासमम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूनासम (सून + सम)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• चक्रम्: a wheel; (here) a potter/oilman (by metonymy)
• चक्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दश: ten
• दश: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: —, —, —

• चक्रसमः: equal to ten (persons called) चक्र
• चक्रसमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्रसम (चक्र + सम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ध्वजः: banner; (here) a liquor-seller/distiller (traditional gloss)
• ध्वजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दश: ten
• दश: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: —, —, —

• ध्वजसमाः: equal to ten (persons called) ध्वज
• ध्वजसमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्वजसमा (ध्वज + समा)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वेश्याः: courtesans/prostitutes
• वेश्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• दश: ten
• दश: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: —, —, —

• वेश्याः-समः: equal to ten courtesans
• वेश्याः-समः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेश्यासम (वेश्या + सम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpa (king/ruler)
• veśyā (prostitute)
• cakra (trade designation: oilman/oil-press worker)
• dhvaja (trade designation: commonly glossed as distiller/liquor-seller)
• sūnā (slaughter/abattoir)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that the ethical weight of kingship is enormous: a ruler’s actions can affect vast numbers of people, so misuse of power can generate harm on a scale far beyond ordinary occupations. The escalating comparison functions as a warning about accountability in governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, including rājadharma. Here he employs a sharp proverbial-style hierarchy to emphasize how grave and far-reaching the consequences of a king’s conduct can be.