Shloka 4

Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)

Devanagari script

राजकोशस्य गोप्तारं राजकोशविलोपका: । समेत्य सर्वे बाधन्ते स विनश्यत्यरक्षित:

Transliteration

rājakośasya goptāraṃ rājakośavilopakāḥ | sametya sarve bādhante sa vinaśyaty arakṣitaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Die Plünderer der königlichen Schatzkammer schließen sich zusammen und bedrängen gerade den Mann, der zu ihrem Schutz eingesetzt ist. Wenn der König ihn nicht schützt, wird dieser hilflose Hüter vernichtet — er geht ungerechterweise zugrunde, obwohl er seine Pflicht tut.“

Word by Word

• राजकोशस्य: of the royal treasury
• राजकोशस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजकोश
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गोप्तारम्: the protector/guardian
• गोप्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजकोशविलोपकाः: plunderers of the royal treasury
• राजकोशविलोपकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजकोशविलोपक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समेत्य: having assembled/coming together
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + इ
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बाधन्ते: they harass/afflict
• Type: Verb
• Root: बाध्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विनश्यति: perishes/is destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नश्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अरक्षितः: unprotected/unguarded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + रक्षित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta) with privative a-

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king)
• rājakośa (royal treasury)
• goptṛ (treasury-guardian)
• rājakośavilopakāḥ (treasury-plunderers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must actively protect honest officials who safeguard public wealth; otherwise corrupt actors will unite to persecute them, and the state’s moral order collapses along with the innocent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma warns that treasury-plunderers collectively target the treasury-guardian; if the king fails to provide protection, the guardian is ruined—highlighting the king’s duty to shield loyal servants against organized corruption.