Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कोशाख्यपटलं यस्य कोशवृद्धिकरैनरि: । आप्तैस्तुष्टैश्न सततं चीयते स नृपोत्तम:

Transliteration

kośākhyapaṭalaṃ yasya kośavṛddhikarair naraḥ | āptais tuṣṭaiś ca satataṃ cīyate sa nṛpottamaḥ ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「諸王のうち最上の王とは、正しい統治によって堅く守られた国庫が、信頼に足る満ち足りた官人たちの不断の努力によって、絶えず増え続ける王である。」

Word by Word

• कोशाख्यपटलम्: the cover/door called the treasury (i.e., the treasury’s guarded enclosure)
• कोशाख्यपटलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोशाख्यपटल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कोशवृद्धिकरैः: by (those) who cause increase of the treasury
• कोशवृद्धिकरैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोशवृद्धिकर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नरैः: by men (officials)
• नरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आप्तैः: by trustworthy/faithful (persons)
• आप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तुष्टैः: by satisfied/contented (persons)
• तुष्टैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• सततम्: always, constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• चीयते: is accumulated / is built up
• Type: Verb
• Root: चि (चिनोति)
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृपोत्तमः: the best of kings
• नृपोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• king (nṛpa/nṛpottama)
• treasury (kośa)
• trusted and contented officials (āptāḥ tuṣṭāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s excellence is shown by stable, well-managed finances: the treasury should grow through continuous, lawful administration by trustworthy and contented officers—implying integrity, proper incentives, and vigilant oversight as pillars of good kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on qualities of an ideal ruler, here emphasizing the importance of a steadily increasing treasury maintained by reliable, satisfied administrators.