Shloka 4
राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः
Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration
ग्रामीयान् ग्रामदोषांश्व ग्रामिकः प्रतिभावयेत् । तान् ब्रूयाद् दशपायासौ स तु विंशतिपाय वै
bhīṣma uvāca | grāmīyān grāmadoṣāṁś ca grāmikaḥ pratibhāvayet | tān brūyād daśapāyāsau sa tu viṁśatipāya vai |
Bhīṣma said: The village headman should carefully ascertain the affairs of the villagers and the faults or offences that arise within the village. He should report these to the officer in charge of ten villages; that officer, in turn, should report to the officer in charge of twenty villages. Thus, through graded supervision, information about local conduct and wrongdoing is conveyed upward, so that governance rests on accurate knowledge and timely correction rather than neglect.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective and righteous governance requires a clear chain of responsibility: local officials must investigate village affairs and offences and report them upward through graded authorities, ensuring accountability and timely justice.
In Bhishma’s instruction on royal duty (rājadharma), he outlines an administrative reporting structure: the village headman reports to the ten-village overseer, who reports to the twenty-village overseer, establishing systematic oversight of local conditions.