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Shloka 23

Adhyaya 27Madālasa’s Instruction to King Alarka: Royal Ethics, Self-Conquest, and Statecraft

मासानष्टौ यथा सूर्यस्तोयं हरति रश्मिभिः ।

सूक्ष्मेणैवाभ्युपायेन तथा शुल्कादिकं नृपः ॥

māsān aṣṭau yathā sūryas toyaṃ harati raśmibhiḥ | sūkṣmeṇaivābhyupāyena tathā śulkādikaṃ nṛpaḥ ||

സൂര്യന്‍ എട്ടുമാസം തന്റെ കിരണങ്ങളാല്‍ ജലം ആകര്‍ഷിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, രാജാവ് നികുതികളും സമാനമായ ദായങ്ങളും സൂക്ഷ്മമായും ക്രമേണയും (കഠിനതയില്ലാതെ) ശേഖരിക്കണം.

māsānmonths (for eight months)
māsān:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण; duration)
TypeNoun
Rootmāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural
aṣṭaueight
aṣṭau:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्याशब्द)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; numeral adjective qualifying māsān
yathājust as
yathā:
Sambandha (उपमान-निर्देश)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; comparative conjunction
sūryaḥthe Sun
sūryaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
toyamwater
toyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottoya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
haratitakes away
harati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Roothṛ (धातु)
FormLaṭ (Present/लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada
raśmibhiḥby (his) rays
raśmibhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootraśmi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural
sūkṣmeṇasubtly
sūkṣmeṇa:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; used adverbially with upāyena
evaindeed/just
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक)
abhyupāyenaby a means/expedient
abhyupāyena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootabhi + upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular
tathāso/likewise
tathā:
Sambandha (उपमेय-निर्देश)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; correlative adverb
śulka-ādikamtaxes and the like
śulka-ādikam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootśulka + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; tatpurusha: śulka-ādi = 'tax and the like'
nṛpaḥthe king
nṛpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
Didactic narrator within rājadharma teaching

{ "primaryRasa": "dharma", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Surya
RājadharmaTaxation ethicsGradualismNon-oppressive governance

FAQs

Revenue collection should be steady and minimally painful: like evaporation, it is effective precisely because it is gradual and non-violent, preserving the productive capacity of society.

Nīti instruction; not pancalakṣaṇa.

The Sun’s ‘taking’ is lawful and cyclical, returning as rain; likewise taxation is justified only when it re-circulates as protection and public good, not private hoarding.