Shloka 2

Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)

Devanagari script

दुष्टामात्यसहायस्य च्युतमन्त्रस्य सर्वतः । राज्यात्‌ प्रच्यवमानस्य गतिमग्ग्रामपश्यत:

Transliteration

duṣṭāmātyasahāyasya cyutamantrasya sarvataḥ | rājyāt pracyavamānasya gatim aggrām apaśyataḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “When a king is backed by wicked ministers, when his counsel and policy have fallen into disarray on every side, and when he is slipping away from his kingdom, he no longer sees the path forward—he cannot discern the way to safety or a rightful course of action.”

Word by Word

दुष्टwicked, corrupt

अमात्यminister

सहायस्यof (one) having as helper/ally

च्युतfallen from, deprived of

मन्त्रस्यof counsel/strategy

सर्वतःon all sides; entirely

राज्यात्from the kingdom

प्रच्यवमानस्यof (one) being driven out / falling away

गतिम्course, way, refuge

अग्राम्not leading to a village; without settlement (i.e., not a proper path)

अपश्यत्saw

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

amātya (ministers/counselors)

rājya (kingdom)

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’s stability depends on righteous advisers and sound counsel; when ministers are corrupt and policy collapses, the king loses clear direction and the kingdom inevitably declines. Ethical governance requires integrity in counsel and disciplined statecraft.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira frames a political-ethical problem: a king, undermined by wicked ministers and failed counsel, is being driven from sovereignty and becomes unable to perceive a viable path forward.