Shloka 9
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
दशसूनासमं चक्रं दशचक्रसमो ध्वज: । दशध्वजसमा वेश्या दशवेश्यासमो नृप:,दस कसाइयोंके समान एक तेली, दस तेलियोंके समान एक कलवार, दस कलवारोंके समान एक वेश्या और दस वेश्याओंके समान एक राजा है
daśasūnāsamaṃ cakraṃ daśacakrasamo dhvajaḥ | daśadhvajasamā veśyā daśaveśyāsamo nṛpaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “A maker of oil is reckoned equal to ten slaughterers; a distiller/liquor-seller is reckoned equal to ten such oil-makers; a prostitute is reckoned equal to ten such distillers; and a king is reckoned equal to ten such prostitutes.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that the ethical weight of kingship is enormous: a ruler’s actions can affect vast numbers of people, so misuse of power can generate harm on a scale far beyond ordinary occupations. The escalating comparison functions as a warning about accountability in governance.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, including rājadharma. Here he employs a sharp proverbial-style hierarchy to emphasize how grave and far-reaching the consequences of a king’s conduct can be.