Shloka 7
Kośa-saṃjanana and Subtle Dharma
Treasury Formation and Fine-Grained Ethics
श्रियो हि कारणाद् राजा सत्क्रियां लभते पराम् | सास्य गूहति पापानि वासो गुह्यूमिव स्त्रिया:
śriyo hi kāraṇād rājā satkriyāṁ labhate parām | sāsyā gūhati pāpāni vāso guhyaṁ iva striyāḥ ||
ビーシュマは言った。「繁栄（ラクシュミー）ゆえに、王は至る所で最上の敬意と恭しい奉仕を受ける。その繁栄はまた、衣が女の秘所を覆うように、王の過失と罪を覆い隠す。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prosperity and royal fortune often generate public honor for a king and can conceal his moral failings; therefore, respect shown to rulers may reflect wealth and power more than genuine virtue, and one should judge by dharma rather than outward splendor.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira by observing how Śrī (royal prosperity) influences society’s treatment of a king—granting him high honor and masking his defects, much like clothing covers what is private.