Shanti Parva Adhyaya 169 Shloka 18 - Mahabharata | French | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 18

मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169

Devanagari script

सम्समित्राश्न कृतज्ञाश्च सर्वज्ञा लोभवर्जिता: । माधुर्यगुणसम्पन्ना: सत्यसंधा जितेन्द्रिया:

Transliteration

samsamitrāś ca kṛtajñāś ca sarvajñā lobhavarjitāḥ | mādhuryaguṇasampannāḥ satyasaṃdhā jitendriyāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Qu’un roi choisisse pour amis ceux qui sont entourés de bons compagnons, reconnaissants et d’un vaste savoir; exempts d’avidité; d’humeur douce et de vertus délicates; fermes dans la vérité et constants dans leurs vœux; et qui ont dompté leurs sens. De tels hommes—de conduite et de renom—deviennent des appuis sûrs pour une royauté conforme au dharma et la stabilité du royaume.»

Word by Word

सम्समित्राःhaving good friends / well-friended

अश्नाःtireless / not fatigued (in work)

कृतज्ञाःgrateful

चand

सर्वज्ञाःall-knowing / very learned

लोभवर्जिताःfree from greed

माधुर्यगुणसम्पन्नाःendowed with the quality of sweetness (pleasantness)

सत्यसंधाःtrue to one’s pledge / of truthful resolve

जितेन्द्रियाःself-controlled (having conquered the senses)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should form close alliances only with people of proven virtue—especially those free from greed, grateful, truthful, gentle in conduct, and self-controlled—because such friends strengthen righteous governance and prevent corruption.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on practical ethics of rule, here specifying the qualities of men whom a king should accept as trusted friends and associates.