Shloka 43

Kuberasaras-darśana (Bhīma beholds Kubera’s guarded lotus-lake) / कुबेरसरः-दर्शनम्

Devanagari script

मन्त्रमूला नया: सर्वे चाराश्न भरतर्षभ । सुमन्त्रितेन या सिद्धिस्तां द्विजै:ः सह मन्त्रयेत्‌,भरतश्रेष्ठ! सारी नीतियों और गुप्तचरोंका मूल आधार है मन्त्रणाको गुप्त रखना। उत्तम मन्त्रणा या विचारसे जो सिद्धि प्राप्त होती है, उसके लिये द्विजोंके साथ गुप्त परामर्श करना चाहिये

Transliteration

mantramūlā nayāḥ sarve cārāś ca bharatarṣabha | sumantritena yā siddhis tāṃ dvijaiḥ saha mantrayet ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O bull among the Bharatas, all policies of statecraft and even the work of spies rest upon counsel. The success that comes from well-considered deliberation should be pursued through confidential consultation with learned brāhmaṇas.”

Word by Word

• {'mantra': 'counsel, deliberation

• also a confidential plan', 'mūla': 'root, foundation', 'naya (nayaḥ)': 'policy, political conduct, statecraft', 'sarva': 'all', 'cāra (cārāḥ)': 'spies, secret agents

• intelligence-gatherers', 'bharatarṣabha': '‘bull among the Bharatas’

• an honorific for a Bharata prince/king', 'sumantrita': 'well-advised, well-deliberated

• counsel taken properly', 'siddhi': 'success, accomplishment, attainment of an objective', 'dvija (dvijaiḥ)': '‘twice-born’

• brāhmaṇas (and by extension learned members of the twice-born classes)', 'saha': 'together with', 'mantrayet': 'one should consult/deliberate

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharata (dynastic reference)
• dvijas (brāhmaṇas / twice-born)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective governance and intelligence work depend on sound, confidential counsel; success is best secured by discreet deliberation with learned and trustworthy brāhmaṇas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is presenting a principle of political wisdom within the Vana Parva discourse: policy (naya) and espionage (cāra) are grounded in mantra (strategic counsel), and a ruler should consult privately with qualified advisers.