Shanti Parva Adhyaya 89 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | English | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

Kośārtha-Rājadharma: Ethical Revenue Collection and Social Regulation (कोशार्थ-राजधर्मः)

Devanagari script

अपन क्रा छा अं क्ज अष्टाशीतितमो<् ध्याय: प्रजासे कर लेने तथा कोश-संग्रह करनेका प्रकार युधिषछ्िर उवाच यदा राजा समर्थो5पि कोशार्थी स्यान्महामते । कथं प्रवर्तेत तदा तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yadā rājā samartho 'pi kośārthī syān mahāmate | kathaṃ pravarteta tadā tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O grandsire of great wisdom, when a king is fully capable and faces no immediate crisis, yet still wishes to increase his treasury, by what course of action should he proceed? Please tell me.”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

यदाwhen

राजाthe king

समर्थःcapable, competent

अपिeven, although

कोशार्थीdesirous of treasury/wealth

स्यात्should be, might be

महामतेO great-minded one

कथम्how

प्रवर्तेतshould proceed/act

तदाthen

तत्that (matter)

मेto me

ब्रूहिtell (me)

पितामहO grandsire

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)

king (as an archetypal ruler)

kośa (treasury)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic problem of governance: even without emergency, a king may need to strengthen the treasury, but must do so through a proper, ethical method—implying restraint, legitimacy, and concern for subjects rather than greed.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue on rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks the elder authority (Bhīṣma) for guidance on how a stable and capable king should increase state revenue and reserves.