Shloka 236
राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः
Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration
राष्ट्र च कोशभूतं स्यात् कोशो वेश्मगतस्तथा । राजाको चाहिये कि वह अपने देशमें लोगोंके पास इकट्ठे हुए धनको आपत्तिके समय काम आनेके लिये बढ़ावे और अपने राष्ट्रको घरमें रखा हुआ खजाना समझे
rāṣṭraṃ ca kośabhūtaṃ syāt kośo veśmagatas tathā | rājā ca āhāryaṃ yat syāt sva-deśe janasaṃnidhau saṃcitaṃ dhanaṃ āpadi kāryārthaṃ vardhayet, rāṣṭraṃ ca veśmani nihitaṃ kośam iva manyeta |
Bhishma berkata: “Hendaklah kerajaan itu sendiri dianggap sebagai perbendaharaan, dan perbendaharaan sebagai harta yang tersimpan selamat di dalam rumah. Oleh itu, seorang raja patut menambah dan memakmurkan kekayaan yang terkumpul dalam kalangan rakyat di negerinya sendiri agar dapat digunakan pada waktu bencana, dan hendaklah baginda memandang wilayahnya sebagai dana simpanan yang tersimpan di rumah.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must treat the realm and its productive capacity as a strategic reserve: nurture and expand the people’s prosperity so that, in emergencies, the state can draw upon stable resources without destroying the social fabric.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises the king on prudent governance: the treasury should be as secure as wealth kept at home, and the kingdom itself should be managed as a living treasury by fostering accumulated wealth among the subjects for use in times of crisis.