Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यथा यथा न सीदेरंस्तथा कुर्यान्महीपति: । फलं कर्म च सम्प्रेक्ष्य ततः सर्व प्रकल्पयेत्‌,युधिष्ठिर! महाराजको चाहिये कि वह लोगोंकी हैसियतके अनुसार भारी और हलका कर लगावे। भूपालको उतना ही कर लेना चाहिये, जितनेसे प्रजा संकटमें न पड़ जाय। उनका कार्य और लाभ देखकर ही सब कुछ करना चाहिये

Transliteration

yathā yathā na sīderan tathā kuryān mahīpatiḥ | phalaṁ karma ca samprekṣya tataḥ sarvaṁ prakalpayet, yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王は民が苦境に沈まぬように諸策を整えるべきである。得られる果と要する労をつぶさに考え、そののち万事を定めよ、ユディシュティラよ。」

Word by Word

यथाas, in such a way that

यथाjust as

नnot

सीदेरन्they should not sink/fall into distress

तथाso, in that manner

कुर्यात्should do/should act

महीपतिःthe king (lord of the earth)

फलम्result, fruit

कर्मaction, deed

चand

सम्प्रेक्ष्यhaving considered/observed

ततःthen, thereafter

सर्वम्everything, all

प्रकल्पयेत्should arrange/ordain

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

mahīpati (the king)

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 must govern with measured policies—especially in matters like revenue—so that the people are not driven into hardship. Decisions should be made only after weighing both the expected benefit (phala) and the practical burden of the action (karma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising King Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance, emphasizing careful, welfare-oriented administration and prudent assessment before implementing policies.