Shloka 19

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

ईहाद्वाराणि संरुध्य राजा सम्प्रीतदर्शन: । प्रद्धिषन्ति परिख्यातं राजानमतिखादिनम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | īhādvārāṇi saṃrudhya rājā samprītadarśanaḥ | praddhiṣanti parikhyātaṃ rājānam atikhādinam |

Translation

Bhishma said: “Let the king bar the gates of greed and self-seeking, and become one whose very sight is pleasing to the people. For when a ruler becomes notorious as an excessive devourer—one who over-extracts and consumes the wealth and livelihood of his subjects—the whole populace turns against him in hatred.”

Word by Word

• ईहा-द्वाराणि: the doors/gates of desire/greed (i.e., avenues of craving)
• ईहा-द्वाराणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईहा-द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• संरुध्य: having restrained/blocked
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + रुध् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Prior action (having restrained)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रीत-दर्शनः: one whose appearance is pleasing (to all)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्प्रीत-दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• subjects/people (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must restrain greed and avoid excessive extraction from the people; rulership should be welfare-oriented so that the ruler remains प्रियदर्शन (pleasing and trusted), not notorious as an exploiter.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the ruler to close the ‘doors’ of selfish desire and warns that if a king becomes famous for over-consuming the people’s resources, public resentment and hatred inevitably arise.