Shloka 55

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

निमन्त्रयीत सान्त्वेन सम्मानेन तितिक्षया | लोकाराधनमित्येतत्‌ कर्तव्यं भूतिमिच्छता,'ऐश्वर्यकी इच्छा रखनेवाले राजाको मधुर वचन बोलकर दूसरोंका सम्मान करके और सहनशील होकर लोगोंको अपने पास आनेके लिये निमन्त्रित करना चाहिये, यही लोककी आराधना अथवा साधारण जनताका सम्मान है। इसे अवश्य करना चाहिये

Transliteration

nimantrayīta sāntvena sammānena titikṣayā | lokārādhanam ity etat kartavyaṁ bhūtim icchatā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Ein König, der Wohlstand und souveränen Erfolg begehrt, soll die Menschen mit sanfter Überredung auf seine Seite rufen — durch freundliche Worte, durch Ehrung und durch geduldiges Ertragen von Mühsal. Dies nennt man wahrlich «die Welt gewinnen» (das Wohlwollen des Volkes), und wer nach blühender Macht verlangt, muss es üben.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'nimantrayīta', 'definition': 'should invite, should summon (courteously), should call to oneself'}, {'term': 'sāntvena', 'definition': 'with conciliation

• by gentle, soothing speech and conduct'}, {'term': 'sammānena', 'definition': 'with honor, respect, proper recognition'}, {'term': 'titikṣayā', 'definition': 'with forbearance

• patient endurance, tolerance'}, {'term': 'loka', 'definition': 'the people

• society'}, {'term': 'ārādhanam', 'definition': 'propitiation

• cultivating goodwill'}, {'term': 'kartavyam', 'definition': 'to be done

• obligatory'}, {'term': 'bhūti', 'definition': 'prosperity, welfare, flourishing fortune

• also royal success'}, {'term': 'icchatā', 'definition': 'by one who desires

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• the people (loka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s prosperity depends on cultivating public goodwill: invite and attract people through gentle conciliation, respectful honor, and patient forbearance. This ‘lokārādhana’ is presented as an obligatory practice for one who seeks stable power and flourishing governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises the king on practical statecraft rooted in ethics—how to relate to subjects and allies. Here he defines ‘winning the people’ as a deliberate policy of kind speech, honoring others, and tolerance.