Shloka 55

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

निमन्त्रयीत सान्त्वेन सम्मानेन तितिक्षया | लोकाराधनमित्येतत्‌ कर्तव्यं भूतिमिच्छता

Transliteration

nimantrayīta sāntvena sammānena titikṣayā | lokārādhanam ity etat kartavyaṁ bhūtim icchatā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Le roi qui recherche la prospérité et la réussite souveraine doit inviter les hommes à se ranger à ses côtés par une persuasion douce — en parlant avec bonté, en les honorant et en supportant les épreuves avec patience. C’est là ce qu’on appelle « gagner le monde » (la bienveillance du peuple), et celui qui désire une puissance florissante doit s’y astreindre.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'nimantrayīta', 'definition': 'should invite, should summon (courteously), should call to oneself'}, {'term': 'sāntvena', 'definition': 'with conciliation

• by gentle, soothing speech and conduct'}, {'term': 'sammānena', 'definition': 'with honor, respect, proper recognition'}, {'term': 'titikṣayā', 'definition': 'with forbearance

• patient endurance, tolerance'}, {'term': 'loka', 'definition': 'the people

• society'}, {'term': 'ārādhanam', 'definition': 'propitiation

• cultivating goodwill'}, {'term': 'kartavyam', 'definition': 'to be done

• obligatory'}, {'term': 'bhūti', 'definition': 'prosperity, welfare, flourishing fortune

• also royal success'}, {'term': 'icchatā', 'definition': 'by one who desires

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• the people (loka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s prosperity depends on cultivating public goodwill: invite and attract people through gentle conciliation, respectful honor, and patient forbearance. This ‘lokārādhana’ is presented as an obligatory practice for one who seeks stable power and flourishing governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises the king on practical statecraft rooted in ethics—how to relate to subjects and allies. Here he defines ‘winning the people’ as a deliberate policy of kind speech, honoring others, and tolerance.