Shloka 25

Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies

Gaṇa-nīti

Devanagari script

गणमुख्यैस्तु सम्भूय कार्य गणहितं मिथ: । पृथग्गणस्य भिन्नस्य विततस्यथ ततो5न्यथा

Transliteration

gaṇamukhyais tu sambhūya kāryaṁ gaṇahitaṁ mithaḥ | pṛthag gaṇasya bhinnasya vitatasya atha tato 'nyathā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Let the leaders of the guilds and assemblies come together and, in mutual consultation, carry out what benefits the collective. But when the body becomes divided—its members separated and scattered—then the same work must be handled differently, for unity is the condition for common welfare.”

Word by Word

• गणमुख्यैः: by the chief(s) of the groups
• गणमुख्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणमुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सम्भूय: having assembled/together
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-भू
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• कार्यं: the task/what is to be done
• कार्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गणहितं: beneficial to the group
• गणहितं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गणहित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मिथः: mutually/with one another
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथः

• पृथक्: separately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्

• गणस्य: of the group
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भिन्नस्य: of (one that is) divided
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular, Past passive participle

• विततस्य: of (one that is) spread out/extended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वितत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular, Past passive participle

• अथ: then/and further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• ततः: thereafter/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अन्यथा: otherwise/differently
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• gaṇa (guild/assembly)
• gaṇamukhya (leaders of the assembly)