Shloka 48

Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)

Devanagari script

श्वगृध्रगोमायुयुतो राजहंससमो हासि

Transliteration

śvagṛdhra-gomāyu-yuto rāja-haṃsa-samaḥ asi; yathā śva-gṛdhra-gomāyubhiḥ parivṛto rāja-haṃsa upaviśet, tathā duṣṭa-karmacāribhiḥ tvaṃ parivṛtaḥ asi. yathā latānāṃ viśālaḥ samūho mahā-vṛkṣam āśritya vardhate, paścāt śanaiḥ śanaiḥ taṃ vṛkṣaṃ veṣṭayati, atikramya tato 'pi ūrdhvaṃ prasṛyate; atha sa eva śuṣyati bhayānakaṃ indhanaṃ bhavati; tataḥ dāruṇo dāvānalaḥ tasminn indhane āśritya taṃ mahā-vṛkṣam api dahati. rājann, tava mantriṇaḥ api tāḥ śuṣkā latā iva jātāḥ—tavaiva āśrayāt vardhitvā tava vināśa-kāraṇāni bhavanti. ataḥ teṣāṃ śodhanaṃ kuru.

Translation

ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເຈົ້າເປັນເຫມືອນຫົງຫຼວງທີ່ຖືກຫມາ, ແຮ້ງ, ແລະຫມາປ່າລ້ອມຮອບ—ດັ່ງນັ້ນເຈົ້າກໍຖືກລ້ອມດ້ວຍຂ້າລາຊການທຸຈຣິດ. ເຫມືອນເຄືອໄມ້ຈຳນວນຫຼາຍອາໄສຕົ້ນໄມ້ໃຫຍ່ເພື່ອເຕີບໃຫຍ່, ແລ້ວຄ່ອຍໆພັນຮອບຕົ້ນນັ້ນ, ຂ້າມມັນ ແລະແຜ່ສູງກວ່າ; ຕໍ່ມາເຄືອໄມ້ນັ້ນແຫ້ງກາຍເປັນເຊື້ອໄຟອັນນ່າຢ້ານ, ແລະໄຟປ່າອັນດຸຮ້າຍອາດເຜົາຕົ້ນໄມ້ໃຫຍ່ນັ້ນໄດ້ໂດຍອາໄສເຊື້ອໄຟນັ້ນ—ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ລັດຖະມົນຕີຂອງເຈົ້າກໍກາຍເປັນເຫມືອນເຄືອໄມ້ແຫ້ງນັ້ນ. ຖືກຫຼ້ຽງດ້ວຍການອຸປະຖຳຂອງເຈົ້າ, ພວກເຂົາເຕີບໃຫຍ່ຈົນກາຍເປັນເຫດແຫ່ງຄວາມພິນາດຂອງເຈົ້າ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຈົ່ງຊຳລະການປົກຄອງ ໂດຍກວດກາ ແລະຖອນພວກເຂົາອອກ».

Word by Word

• श्वगृध्रगोमायुयुतः: accompanied by dogs, vultures, and jackals
• श्वगृध्रगोमायुयुतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वन् + गृध्र + गोमायु + युत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजहंससमः: like a royal swan
• राजहंससमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजहंस + सम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: you are
• असि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (addressed as rājā/rājan)
• Royal swan (rāja-haṃsa)
• Dogs (śva)
• Vultures (gṛdhra)
• Jackals (gomāyu)
• Creepers/vines (latā)
• Great tree (mahā-vṛkṣa)
• Forest-fire (dāvānala)
• Ministers (mantriṇaḥ)
• Corrupt attendants/officials (duṣṭa-karmacārinaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must not tolerate corrupt ministers and officials. Those who grow powerful under royal patronage can become the very instruments of the king’s downfall; therefore, the king should cleanse the administration through careful scrutiny and removal of the wicked.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on kingship (rajadharma), he warns the king through two vivid images: a noble swan beset by scavengers, and creepers that, after thriving on a tree’s support, become dry fuel enabling a forest-fire to destroy that same tree. He applies the analogy to ministers who, supported by the king, now threaten him, urging their purification.