Shloka 5
Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies
Gaṇa-nīti
क्षीणग्रहणवृत्तिश्न यथाधर्म प्रकीर्तितम् लघुना देशरूपेण ग्रन्थयोगेन भारत,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--परंतप भरतनन्दन! आपने ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य, और शाद्रोंके धर्ममय आचार, धन, जीविकाके उपाय तथा धर्म आदिके फल बताये हैं। राजाओंके धन, कोश, कोश-संग्रह, शत्रुविजय, मन्त्रीके गुण और व्यवहार, प्रजावर्गकी उन्नति, संधि-विग्रह आदि छः: गुणोंके प्रयोग, सेनाके बर्ताव, दुष्टोंकी पहचान, सत्पुरुषोंके लक्षण, जो अपने समान, अपनेसे हीन तथा अपनेसे उत्कृष्ट हैं--उन सब लोगोंके यथावत् लक्षण, मध्यम वर्गको संतुष्ट रखनेके लिये उन्नतिशील राजाको कैसे रहना चाहिये--इसका निर्देश, दुर्बल पुरुषको अपनाने और उसके लिये जीविकाकी व्यवस्था करनेकी आवश्यकता--इन सब विषयोंका आपने देशाचार और शास्त्रके अनुसार संक्षेपसे धर्मके अनुकूल प्रतिपादन किया है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kṣīṇa-grahaṇa-vṛttiś ca yathā-dharmaṁ prakīrtitam | laghunā deśa-rūpeṇa grantha-yogena bhārata ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: O Bhārata, you have succinctly set forth—according to dharma—the means of livelihood and the proper conduct to be adopted, presenting it in a concise, region-sensitive form and in a systematic, treatise-like manner. In doing so, you have explained the duties and ethical practices of the four social orders, the sources of wealth and sustenance, the fruits of righteous conduct, and the practical principles by which kings should secure the treasury, manage accumulation, overcome enemies, choose and test ministers, promote the welfare of the people, apply the six measures of policy (peace and war), regulate the army, identify the wicked, recognize the virtuous, and maintain harmony among those equal, inferior, and superior—along with the duty to support the weak by arranging their livelihood.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
That dharma must be taught and applied in a concise yet systematic way, attentive to local conditions, and that righteous governance includes practical duties: sustaining social order, securing revenue ethically, choosing capable ministers, protecting the people, and supporting the vulnerable.
Yudhiṣṭhira acknowledges and summarizes the prior instruction he has received on dharma and statecraft, praising the speaker for presenting a comprehensive guide to social duties and royal policy in a brief, well-organized manner.