Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

मन्त्रयेत्‌ सह विद्वद्धिः शक्तै: कर्माणि कारयेत्‌ । स्निग्धैश्व नीतिविन्यासान्‌ मूर्खान्‌ सर्वत्र वर्जयेत्‌,विद्वानोंके साथ ही गुप्त मन्त्रणा करनी चाहिये। जो शक्तिशाली हों, उन्हींसे कार्य कराने चाहिये। जो स्नेही (सुहृद) हों उन्हींके द्वारा नीतिके प्रयोगका काम कराना चाहिये। मूर्खोको तो सभी कार्योसे अलग रखना चाहिये

Transliteration

mantrayeta saha vidvadbhiḥ śaktaiḥ karmāṇi kārayet | snigdhaiś ca nītivinyāsān mūrkhān sarvatra varjayet ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “One should deliberate in confidence only with the learned. One should have tasks executed only by those who are capable and strong. One should entrust the application of policy and strategy to trusted, affectionate allies. As for fools, one should exclude them from every undertaking.”

Word by Word

• {'mantrayeta': 'should consult, deliberate, take counsel (often with the sense of confidential counsel)', 'saha': 'with', 'vidvadbhiḥ': 'with the learned, with wise persons (instrumental plural of vidvat)', 'śaktaiḥ': 'with the capable/strong (instrumental plural of śakta)', 'karmāṇi': 'tasks, actions, undertakings', 'kārayet': 'should cause to be done

• should have (someone) do', 'snigdhaiḥ': 'with affectionate, loyal, trusted persons

• friends/well-wishers', 'ca': 'and', 'nītivinyāsān': 'arrangements/application of policy

• strategic deployment of nīti (statecraft, prudent conduct)', 'mūrkhān': 'fools, the unwise', 'sarvatra': 'everywhere

• in all matters', 'varjayet': 'should avoid, exclude, keep away'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective leadership depends on choosing the right people for the right roles: consult the learned for counsel, employ the capable for execution, rely on trusted allies for strategic policy, and keep the foolish away from decision-making and operations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, in the course of narration, presents a maxim of practical ethics (nīti): guidance on confidential counsel, delegation of work, and the selection of trustworthy agents—framed as general instruction rather than a specific action scene.