Shloka 21
राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः
Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration
भृतो वत्सो जातबल: पीडां सहति भारत | न कर्म कुरुते वत्सो भृशं दुग्धो युधिष्ठिर
bhṛto vatsaḥ jātavalaḥ pīḍāṃ sahati bhārata | na karma kurute vatsaḥ bhṛśaṃ dugdho yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhishma said: “O Bharata (Yudhishthira), a calf that is properly nourished grows strong and can endure hardship and heavy strain. But a calf whose mother has been excessively milked becomes weakened and cannot perform such work. Thus, over-extraction for immediate gain undermines future strength and capacity.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that strength and capability arise from proper nourishment and restraint: if one drains resources excessively for immediate benefit, the dependent becomes weak and future productivity and resilience are lost. Ethical rule requires measured use and long-term care.
In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and statecraft. Here he uses a pastoral analogy—calf and cow—to illustrate how over-milking (over-exploitation) weakens what should be nurtured, implying guidance for a king’s treatment of subjects and resources.