Shloka 133

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

योगक्षेमं च सम्प्रेक्ष्य वणिजां कारयेत्‌ करान्‌ | राजाको मालकी खरीद--बिक्री

Transliteration

yogakṣemaṁ ca samprekṣya vaṇijāṁ kārayet karān |

Translation

Bhishma said: Having carefully considered the merchants’ welfare and security—how their trade is sustained and protected—a king should levy taxes on them only with such prudent regard, so that revenue is raised without harming commerce or the livelihoods dependent on it.

Word by Word

• योगक्षेमम्: welfare and security (yoga and kṣema)
• योगक्षेमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगक्षेम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• सम्प्रेक्ष्य: having considered / having looked into
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-ईक्ष्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• वणिजाम्: of merchants
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कारयेत्: should cause to be levied / should impose
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), Non-past (injunctive/optative sense), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

• करान्: taxes
• करान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (king)
• vaṇij (merchant/trader)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Taxation must be guided by yogakṣema—protecting and sustaining the economic well-being of merchants—so the king raises revenue without undermining trade or public prosperity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s teachings on kingship (rājadharma), Bhīṣma instructs the king on how to levy taxes, emphasizing careful assessment of merchants’ capacity and welfare before imposing levies.