Shloka 3

Kośārtha-Rājadharma: Ethical Revenue Collection and Social Regulation (कोशार्थ-राजधर्मः)

Devanagari script

यथा तासां च मन्येत श्रेय आत्मन एव च | तथा कर्माणि सर्वाणि राजा राष्ट्रेषु वर्तयेत्‌,जिस प्रकारसे काम करनेपर प्रजाओंकी तथा अपनी भी भलाई समझमें आवे, वैसे ही समस्त कार्योंका राजा अपने राष्ट्रमें प्रचार करे

Transliteration

yathā tāsāṃ ca manyeta śreya ātmana eva ca | tathā karmāṇi sarvāṇi rājā rāṣṭreṣu vartayet ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Welchen Weg der König auch immer als heilsam sowohl für seine Untertanen als auch für sich selbst erkennt, alle solchen Maßnahmen und Werke soll er im ganzen Reich zur Ausführung bringen lassen.“

Word by Word

यथाas, in the manner that

तासाम्of them (of those women/subjects)

चand

मन्येतshould think/consider

श्रेयःwelfare, the better good

आत्मनःof oneself

एवindeed, just

चand

तथाso, in that way

कर्माणिactions, works, duties

सर्वाणिall

राजाthe king

राष्ट्रेषुin the kingdoms/realms

वर्तयेत्should set in motion/establish/cause to be carried out

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

rājā (the king)

rāṣṭra (the realm/kingdom)

prajā (subjects) (implied)

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?

A king’s policies should be guided by discernment of welfare (śreyaḥ): he must implement throughout the realm those actions he judges to benefit both the subjects and the ruler, aligning self-interest with public good as a principle of rājadharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma is advising the king on how to govern: he emphasizes practical implementation—spreading and enforcing beneficial measures across the kingdom—rather than merely holding good intentions.