Shloka 23
Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies
Gaṇa-nīti
तस्मान्मानयितव्यास्ते गणमुख्या: प्रधानत: । लोकयात्रा समायत्ता भूयसी तेषु पार्थिव
tasmān mānayitavyās te gaṇamukhyāḥ pradhānataḥ | lokayātrā samāyattā bhūyasī teṣu pārthiva ||
Darum, o König, sollen die vornehmsten Führer der Zünfte und Körperschaften über alle Maßen geehrt werden. Denn vom ihnen hängt in hohem Maße der geordnete Fortgang der Angelegenheiten der Welt und des öffentlichen Lebens ab.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must give special honor and support to the leaders of organized communities (guilds and corporate bodies), because the stability of society—its livelihoods, public order, and everyday functioning—depends greatly on them.
Bhishma is instructing the king on rajadharma (the duties of governance). In this counsel, he emphasizes the political and ethical necessity of respecting influential civic and economic leaders, since they sustain the practical workings of the realm.