Shloka 10

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

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सर्वसमारम्भो दुर्लभ: पुरुषं प्रति । यथामुख्यान्‌ सान्त्वयित्वा भोक्तव्य इतरो जन:

Transliteration

tasmāt sarva-samārambho durlabhaḥ puruṣaṃ prati | yathā-mukhyān sāntvayitvā bhoktavya itaro janaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Therefore, attempting to take all men in hand at once is difficult. A king should first win over the foremost persons by soothing, conciliatory speech; thereafter, the remaining common people can be managed and employed as circumstances require.

Word by Word

• {'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'sarva-samārambhaḥ': 'a comprehensive undertaking

• an attempt to deal with everyone at once', 'durlabhaḥ': 'hard to obtain

• difficult to accomplish', 'puruṣam prati': 'with respect to men/people

• in dealing with persons', 'yathā-mukhyān': 'the principal/leading ones

• the foremost persons (according to rank/influence)', 'sāntvayitvā': 'having consoled/placated

• having won over by gentle persuasion', 'madhura-vacana (implied by context)': 'sweet speech

• conciliatory words', 'bhoktavyaḥ': 'to be used/managed/enjoyed

• to be dealt with appropriately', 'itaraḥ janaḥ': 'the other people

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective rule is gradual and strategic: it is unrealistic to control everyone simultaneously, so a ruler should first secure the loyalty of key leaders through gentle persuasion, and then manage the wider populace through orderly administration.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhīṣma advises the king on practical governance—prioritizing influential persons for conciliation and thereby stabilizing the realm before dealing with the general public.