Shloka 18

Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies

Gaṇa-nīti

Devanagari script

पुत्रान्‌ भ्रातृन्‌ निगृह्नन्तो विनयन्तश्न तान्‌ सदा । विनीतांश्व प्रगृह्नन्तो विवर्धन्ते गणोत्तमा:

Transliteration

putrān bhrātṝn nigṛhṇanto vinayantaś ca tān sadā | vinītāṁś ca pragṛhṇanto vivardhante gaṇottamāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Selbst ihre eigenen Söhne und Brüder—wenn sie vom rechten Weg abirren—halten diese vornehmsten Führer zurück und bestrafen sie und unterweisen sie fortwährend in rechter Zucht. Sind sie dann gut erzogen, nehmen sie sie mit großer Achtung wieder an und stützen sie. Darum erlangen solche Führer außergewöhnlichen Wohlstand und Wachstum.

Word by Word

• {'putrān': 'sons', 'bhrātṝn': 'brothers', 'nigṛhṇantaḥ': 'restraining

• punishing (when necessary)', 'vinayantaḥ': 'training

• educating in proper conduct (vinaya)', 'ca': 'and', 'tān': 'them', 'sadā': 'always

• continually', 'vinītān': 'those who are disciplined

• corrected', 'pragṛhṇantaḥ': 'accepting

• honoring', 'vivardhante': 'they prosper

• they flourish', 'gaṇottamāḥ': 'the best among leaders/heads of groups

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• sons
• brothers
• gaṇottamāḥ (foremost leaders)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A leader committed to dharma must apply discipline impartially—even toward close relatives—correcting wrongdoing through restraint and instruction, and then honoring those who reform; such balanced governance leads to collective prosperity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s counsel on righteous rule and social order in the Shanti Parva, he describes the conduct of exemplary leaders: they punish and restrain erring sons and brothers, educate them continuously, and later reintegrate and honor them once they become disciplined.