Shloka 19

Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)

Devanagari script

दानाच्छेदे स्वयंकारी श्रद्धालु: सुखदर्शन: । आर्तहस्तप्रदो नित्यमाप्तामात्यो नये रत:,राजाको दानकी परम्पराका कभी उच्छेद न करनेवाला, श्रद्धालु, दर्शनमात्रसे सुख देनेवाला, दीन-दु:खियोंको सदा हाथका सहारा देनेवाला, विश्वसनीय मन्त्रियोंसे युक्त तथा नीतिपरायण होना चाहिये

Transliteration

dānāc chede svayaṃkārī śraddhāluḥ sukhadarśanaḥ | ārta-hasta-prado nityam āptāmātyo naye rataḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Ein König darf niemals zulassen, dass die Tradition des Gebens abreißt; er soll sich selbst der Freigebigkeit verpflichten, von Glauben erfüllt sein und so wohltuend wirken, dass schon sein bloßes Erscheinen Trost spendet. Stets soll er den Bedrängten die Hand reichen, sich auf vertrauenswürdige Minister stützen und der rechten Staatskunst und gerechten Regierung ergeben bleiben.“

Word by Word

दानात्from giving/charity

छेदेin cessation/cutting off

स्वयंकारीself-acting/independent (one who acts by himself)

श्रद्धालुःfaithful/devout

सुखदर्शनःwhose sight is pleasant / who gives happiness by being seen

आर्तहस्तप्रदःgiver of a helping hand to the distressed

नित्यम्always

आप्तामात्यःhaving trustworthy ministers

नयेin policy/statecraft

रतःdevoted/engaged

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

king (rājā)

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?

Bhīṣma teaches that a ruler’s legitimacy and welfare-producing power rest on uninterrupted generosity, personal initiative, faith, compassion toward the distressed, reliance on trustworthy ministers, and steady commitment to prudent statecraft (naya).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the qualities a king should cultivate—especially sustaining charitable giving and actively protecting and supporting those who suffer.