Shloka 2

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच राष्ट्रगुप्तिं च ते सम्यग्‌ राष्ट्रस्यैव तु संग्रहम्‌ । हन्त सर्व प्रवक्ष्यामि तत्त्वमेकमना: शृणु

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca rāṣṭraguptiṃ ca te samyag rāṣṭrasyaiva tu saṅgraham | hanta sarvaṃ pravakṣyāmi tattvam ekamanāḥ śṛṇu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O König, ich werde dir richtig darlegen, wie das Reich zu schützen ist, ja wie der Staat gebührend zu festigen und zu erhalten ist. Wohlan — ich will dir alles sagen, die wesentliche Wahrheit. Höre mit auf einen Punkt gesammeltem Geist.“

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राष्ट्रगुप्तिम्: protection of the kingdom
• राष्ट्रगुप्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्रगुप्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly, correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• राष्ट्रस्य: of the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but/and (emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• संग्रहम्: maintenance, consolidation, governance
• संग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हन्त: come!/well then!/indeed (interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन्त

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain/tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Lृट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्त्वम्: truth, principle, essence
• तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एकमनाः: single-minded, attentive
• एकमनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकमनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the king (addressed as 'to you', i.e., Yudhishthira in context)
• rāṣṭra (the kingdom/state)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames kingship as a disciplined science of protecting the realm and holding it together through sound administration; the ruler must learn the 'tattva' (essential principle) and listen with focused attention, implying that state security and welfare are ethical duties within rajadharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma begins a structured instruction to the king (Yudhishthira) on how to safeguard and consolidate the kingdom, signaling a transition into detailed counsel on governance, security, and the practical duties of a righteous ruler.