Shloka 10
Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies
Gaṇa-nīti
भीष्म उवाच गणानां च कुलानां च राज्ञां भरतसत्तम | वैरसंदीपनावेतौ लोभामर्षो नराधिप
bhīṣma uvāca | gaṇānāṃ ca kulānāṃ ca rājñāṃ bharatasattama | vairasaṃdīpanāvetau lobhāmarṣau narādhipa ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô le meilleur des Bhārata, ô seigneur des hommes : dans les assemblées, dans les clans et parmi les rois, il n’est que deux fautes qui attisent le feu de l’inimitié : l’avidité et l’amarṣa (un ressentiment intolérant).»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma identifies two primary inner vices that ignite hostility in social and political life—lobha (greed) and amarṣa (resentful intolerance). The ethical point is that controlling desire for gain and the urge to retaliate is essential for preserving harmony in communities, families, and kingdoms.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma continues his counsel on governance and dharma, explaining the psychological roots of feuds. He frames greed and amarṣa as the chief sparks that turn ordinary tensions among groups, clans, and rulers into lasting enmity.