Shloka 1

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

7 क्ा-्ण अ--जक्ाा $. धन्वदुर्गका दूसरा नाम मरुदुर्ग भी है। जिसके चारों ओर बालूका घेरा हो

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | rāṣṭraguptiṃ ca me rājan rāṣṭrasyaiva tu saṃgraham | samyag jijñāsamānāya prabrūhi bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O King, I wish to understand correctly the safeguarding of the realm and also the means of consolidating and sustaining it. Therefore, O bull among the Bharatas, please explain to me how a kingdom is to be protected and strengthened.”

Word by Word

• राष्ट्रगुप्तिम्: protection of the kingdom
• राष्ट्रगुप्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्रगुप्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राष्ट्रस्य: of the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but / and (emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• संग्रहम्: maintenance; consolidation; increase
• संग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• जिज्ञासमानाय: to (me) who am wishing to know
• जिज्ञासमानाय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिज्ञासमान
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रब्रूहि: tell; explain
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• bharatarṣabha (epithet; addressed person—Bhīṣma in context of Śānti Parva)
• rājan (king; addressed person)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the ethical duty of kingship (rājadharma) as twofold: safeguarding the realm (security and protection) and sustaining it through consolidation and sound administration (saṃgraha). It introduces governance as a disciplined inquiry guided by dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions the elder authority (addressed as ‘O king’ and ‘best of the Bharatas’) to learn, in a systematic way, how a kingdom should be protected and strengthened.