Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

इति राष्ट्र परिपतन्‌ बहुभि: पुरुषैः सह | सर्वेषां राजयुक्तानां दुष्करं परिदृष्टवान्‌

Transliteration

iti rāṣṭra-paripatan bahubhiḥ puruṣaiḥ saha | sarveṣāṃ rājayuktānāṃ duṣkaraṃ paridṛṣṭavān |

Translation

ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອກ່າວຢ່າງນັ້ນແລ້ວ ລາວໄດ້ທ່ອງໄປທົ່ວອານາຈັກພ້ອມກັບຜູ້ຄົນຫຼາຍ. ໃນການທ່ອງໄປນັ້ນ ລາວໄດ້ເຫັນດ້ວຍຕາຕົນເອງ ການປະພຶດຊົ່ວອັນຫນັກໜ່ວງຂອງບັນດາຜູ້ຮັບໃຊ້ລາຊະການທັງປວງ»។

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• परिपतन्: going about, roaming
• परिपतन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√पत्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: masculine/neuter, instrumental, plural

• पुरुषैः: men, persons
• पुरुषैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• राजयुक्तानाम्: of those engaged in royal duties
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजयुक्त
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• दुष्करम्: misdeed / wrongdoing (lit. difficult act)
• दुष्करम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• परिदृष्टवान्: saw, observed
• परिदृष्टवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√दृश्
• Form: क्तवतु (perfective past active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• kingdom (rāṣṭra)
• royal officials (rājayuktāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Good governance requires direct scrutiny: a ruler (or investigator) should not rely only on reports but must personally observe how officials act, because administrative power can lead to wrongdoing if unchecked.

What is happening in the narrative?

After making a statement (implied by “iti”), the subject goes around the realm with many companions and, during this tour, directly sees the misdeeds being committed by those employed in royal duties.