Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नास्यच्छिद्रं पर: पश्येच्छिटद्रेण परमन्वियात्‌ । गूहेत्‌ कूर्म इवाड्रानि रक्षेद्‌ विवरमात्मन:,“राजाको इतनी सावधानी रखनी चाहिये, जिससे शत्रु उसकी कमजोरी न देख सके और यदि शत्रुकी कमजोरी प्रकट हो जाय तो उसपर अवश्य चढ़ाई करे। जैसे कछुआ अपने अंगोंकी रक्षा करता है, उसी प्रकार राजा अपने सब अंगों (राजा, अमात्य, राष्ट्र, दुर्ग, कोष, बल और सुहृद)-की रक्षा करे और अपनी कमजोरीको छिपाये रखे। यदि कोई कार्य शुरू कर दे तो उसे पूरा किये बिना कभी न छोड़े; क्योंकि शरीरमें गड़ा हुआ काँटा यदि आधा टूटकर भीतर रह जाय तो वह बहुत दिनोंतक मवाद देता रहता है

Transliteration

na asya chidraṁ paraḥ paśyec chidreṇa param anviyāt | gūhet kūrma ivāṅgāni rakṣed vivaram ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Let no enemy perceive a flaw in him; but if a flaw is found in the enemy, let him press the advantage. Let him conceal his vulnerable points, like a tortoise drawing in its limbs, and protect his own weak spots.”

Word by Word

नnot

अस्यof him/this (king)

छिद्रम्weak point, flaw

परःanother (enemy)

पश्येत्should see

छिद्रेणby/through a weak point

परम्the enemy/other (one)

अन्वियात्should pursue/attack

गूहेत्should conceal

कूर्मःtortoise

इवlike, as

अङ्गानिlimbs, parts

रक्षेत्should protect

विवरम्opening, gap (weakness)

आत्मनःof oneself

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

enemy (para)

tortoise (kūrma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should guard his own vulnerabilities so that adversaries cannot exploit them, while promptly exploiting an opponent’s exposed weakness; prudent concealment and vigilant protection are essential to effective governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a maxim of political counsel: the king must not allow enemies to detect his weak points, should act decisively when the enemy’s weakness appears, and should protect himself like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs.