Shloka 25

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

बाहां जन॑ भेदयित्वा भोक्तव्यो मध्यम: सुखम्‌ । एवं नास्य प्रकुप्यन्ति जना: सुखितदु:खिता:

Transliteration

bāhāṃ janaṃ bhedayitvā bhoktavyo madhyamaḥ sukham | evaṃ nāsya prakupyanti janāḥ sukhita-duḥkhitāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “By creating divisions among the ‘bāhā’ people (wild, predatory bands), a king should enjoy—i.e., draw revenue from—the moderate, middle rural populace in a manner that does not crush them. If he levies for the welfare of the realm with such measured policy, then neither those who are comfortable nor those who are distressed become enraged with him.”

Word by Word

• {'bāhāḥ (bāhān janaḥ)': 'a term used for wild/outlaw-like people

• predatory forest-dwellers or bandit groups (as glossed in the Hindi note: ‘jangalī luṭere’)', 'janaṃ': 'people, populace', 'bhedayitvā': 'having caused division

• by splitting into factions (political strategy to neutralize threats)', 'bhoktavyaḥ': 'should be ‘enjoyed/used’

• in royal-policy context: should be drawn upon/collected from (as revenue or service)', 'madhyamaḥ': 'the middle (class/section)

• moderate group', 'sukham': 'comfortably

• with ease (i.e., without oppressive exaction)', 'evaṃ': 'thus

• in this way', 'na': 'not', 'asya': 'of him (the king)', 'prakupyanti': 'become angry

• flare up in wrath', 'sukhita-duḥkhitāḥ': 'both the happy/prosperous and the unhappy/distressed'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the king (rājā)
• bāhāḥ (outlaw/bandit groups)
• madhyamaḥ janaḥ (middle rural populace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should protect the realm by neutralizing predatory groups through strategic division, and he should collect resources from the ordinary middle rural populace in a measured, non-oppressive way for the public good—so that neither the prosperous nor the distressed turn against him.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on rāja-dharma in the Śānti Parva, he advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance: handle dangerous outlaw elements by breaking their unity, and levy revenue from villagers moderately for the benefit of the state, thereby maintaining broad public consent.