Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ईहाद्वाराणि संरुध्य राजा सम्प्रीतदर्शन: । प्रद्धिषन्ति परिख्यातं राजानमतिखादिनम्‌,अधिक तृष्णाके कारण अपने जीवनके मूल आधार प्रजाओंके जीवनभूत खेती-बारी आदिका उच्छेद न कर डाले। राजा लोभके दरवाजोंको बंद करके ऐसा बने कि उसका दर्शन प्रजामात्रको प्रिय लगे। यदि राजा अधिक शोषण करनेवाला विख्यात हो जाय तो सारी प्रजा उससे द्वेष करने लगती है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | īhādvārāṇi saṃrudhya rājā samprītadarśanaḥ | praddhiṣanti parikhyātaṃ rājānam atikhādinam |

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王は貪欲と私利の門を閉ざし、ただその姿を見ただけで民が喜ぶような統治者となるべきである。統治者が過度に貪り食う者として悪名を得—臣民の財と生業を度を越して搾り取り、食い尽くすなら—国中の民は憎しみをもって彼に背を向ける。」

Word by Word

• ईहा-द्वाराणि: the doors/gates of desire/greed (i.e., avenues of craving)
• ईहा-द्वाराणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईहा-द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• संरुध्य: having restrained/blocked
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + रुध् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Prior action (having restrained)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रीत-दर्शनः: one whose appearance is pleasing (to all)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्प्रीत-दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• subjects/people (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must restrain greed and avoid excessive extraction from the people; rulership should be welfare-oriented so that the ruler remains प्रियदर्शन (pleasing and trusted), not notorious as an exploiter.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the ruler to close the ‘doors’ of selfish desire and warns that if a king becomes famous for over-consuming the people’s resources, public resentment and hatred inevitably arise.