Shloka 9

Brāhmaṇa-bheda-nirṇaya and Rājā’s Regulatory Duties (ब्राह्मणभेदनिर्णयः)

Devanagari script

एतेभ्यो बलिमादद्याद्धीनकोशो महीपति: । ऋते ब्रह्मसमेभ्यश्व देवकल्पेभ्य एव च

Transliteration

etebhyo balim ādadīyād dhīna-kośo mahīpatiḥ | ṛte brahma-samebhyaś ca deva-kalpebhya eva ca ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മഹീപതേ! രാജഭണ്ഡാരം ക്ഷീണിച്ചാൽ രാജാവ് ഇവരിൽ നിന്ന് ബലി (നികുതി) വാങ്ങാം; എന്നാൽ ബ്രഹ്മസമമായ പവിത്രതയുള്ളവരിലും ദേവതുല്യമായ ആചാരമുള്ളവരിലും നിന്ന് വാങ്ങരുത്।

Word by Word

एतेभ्यःfrom these

बलिम्tribute

आदद्याद्should take/collect

हीनकोशःhaving a depleted treasury

महीपतिःking (lord of the earth)

ऋतेexcept (excluding)

ब्रह्मसमेभ्यःfrom those equal to Brahman (i.e., brahmin-like)

चand

देवकल्पेभ्यःfrom those like gods

एवindeed/only

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

mahīpati (king)

bali (tribute/tax)

brāhmaṇa (implied by brahma-sama)

deva (implied by deva-kalpa)

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?

Even when the state is financially strained, a king may levy tribute according to rule, but must exempt those of highest spiritual and moral standing (brahma-sama, deva-kalpa). Fiscal necessity does not override the duty to honor and protect the truly virtuous.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on governance. Here he outlines a principle of tax collection: a treasury-poor king may collect bali from certain subjects, but should not burden spiritually eminent or exceptionally righteous persons.