Shloka 42

Devanagari script

साम, दान, दण्ड, भेद--ये चार उपाय, गुप्तचर, उत्तम बुद्धि, सुरक्षित मन्त्रणा, पराक्रम, निग्रह, अनुग्रह और चतुरता--ये राजाओंके लिये कार्य-सिद्धिके साधन हैं ।। साम्ना दानेन भेदेन दण्डेनोपेक्षणेन च । साधनीयानि कर्माणि समासव्यासयोगत:,साम, दान, भेद, दण्ड और उपेक्षा--इन नीतियोंमेंसे एक-दोके द्वारा या सबके एक साथ प्रयोगद्वारा राजाओंको अपने कार्य सिद्ध करने चाहिये

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

sāmnā dānena bhedena daṇḍenopakṣaṇena ca |

sādhanīyāni karmāṇi samāsavyāsayogataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: By conciliation, by gifts, by sowing division, by punishment, and also by strategic disregard, a king should accomplish what must be accomplished—employing these measures either in brief or in full, singly, in pairs, or together as the situation demands.

Word by Word

साम्नाby conciliation

दानेनby gift (bribery/charity)

भेदेनby division (dissension)

दण्डेनby punishment

उपेक्षणेनby neglect/ignoring

चand

साधनीयानिto be accomplished; achievable

कर्माणिacts; tasks

समासby combination (together)

व्यासby separation (singly)

योगतःby means of application; through use

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should achieve objectives through a calibrated use of five political measures—conciliation, gifts, division, punishment, and strategic disregard—choosing and combining them according to circumstance, with intelligence and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, in a didactic passage within the Vana Parva, summarizes practical principles of kingship (nīti/raja-dharma), outlining the standard tools by which rulers secure success in governance and conflict.