Shloka 15
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
नगरं विषयश्चास्य प्रतिपूर्णस्तदा भवत् | उनका नगर और राज्य रत्न, धन, पशु तथा भाँति-भाँतिके धान्योंसे उन दिनों भरा-पूरा रहता था ।। न तस्य विषये चाभूत् कृपणो नापि दुर्गतः
nagaraṃ viṣayaś cāsya pratipūrṇas tadā bhavat | na tasya viṣaye cābhūt kṛpaṇo nāpi durgataḥ ||
Bhishma said: “In those days, his city and the whole realm were completely filled with prosperity. Within his dominion there was neither any miserly, mean-spirited person nor anyone fallen into distress or poverty.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is reflected in the well-being of the people: true prosperity means the realm is abundant and no one is left in misery or degrading poverty; governance should prevent both destitution and moral meanness.
Bhishma is describing the condition of a particular king’s city and territory in an exemplary period, emphasizing that the kingdom was flourishing and that within it there were neither wretchedly poor nor socially fallen persons.