Shloka 53

Devanagari script

“शत्रु ककणाजनक वचन बोल रहा हो तो भी उसे मारे बिना न छोड़े। जिसने पहले अपना अपकार किया हो, उसको अवश्य मार डाले और उसमें दु:ख न माने ।। संग्रहानुग्रहे यत्न: सदा कार्योडनसूयता । निग्रहश्चापि यत्नेन कर्तव्यो भूतिमिच्छता,'ऐश्वर्यकी इच्छा रखनेवाला राजा दोषदृष्टिका परित्याग करके सदा लोगोंको अपने पक्षमें मिलाये रखने तथा दूसरोंपर अनुग्रह करनेके लिये यत्नशील बना रहे और शत्रुओंका दमन भी प्रयत्नपूर्वक करे

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | saṅgrahānugrahe yatnaḥ sadā kāryo 'n-asūyatā | nigrahaś cāpi yatnena kartavyo bhūtim icchatā ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。敵が人を安心させる言葉を語ろうとも、討たずに放ってはならぬ。先に害をなした者は必ず討ち取り、それを悲しみとするな。繁栄と王権を望む王は、咎を探す心と嫉みを捨て、扶助と恩恵によって人々を味方に引き寄せ、また味方として保つため常に努めよ。さらに、敵対する者どもをも、意を用いて抑え、屈服させねばならぬ。

Word by Word

संग्रहin winning over / in conciliation (of people)

अनुग्रहेin showing favor / in granting help

यत्नःeffort

सदाalways

कार्यःto be done / should be made

अनसूयताfreedom from envy / non-censoriousness

निग्रहःrestraint / suppression (of enemies)

चand

अपिalso / even

यत्नेनby effort

कर्तव्यःought to be done

भूतिम्prosperity / success

इच्छताby (one) desiring

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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 aiming at prosperity should combine two disciplines: (1) saṅgraha and anugraha—winning, retaining, and supporting people through benevolence; and (2) nigraha—firmly restraining enemies and disruptive forces. Both require steady, intentional effort, and should be pursued without envy or fault-finding.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on practical governance. Here he summarizes a balanced policy: cultivate allies and subjects through favor and inclusion, while also suppressing threats to the kingdom with disciplined resolve.