Shloka 30

Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies

Gaṇa-nīti

Devanagari script

जात्या च सदृशा: सर्वे कुलेन सदृशास्तथा

Transliteration

jātyā ca sadṛśāḥ sarve kulena sadṛśās tathā | udyogabuddhirūpasampattau tu na sarveṣām ekarūpatā sambhavati || śatravaḥ gaṇarāṣṭreṣu bhedabuddhiṃ janayitvā tebhyaś ca kecid dhanena krītvā api sarvasya saṅghasya bhedaṃ kurvanti | tasmāt saṅghabaddhatā eva gaṇarāṣṭranāgarāṇāṃ mahān āśrayaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Todos podem ser iguais pelo nascimento, e igualmente iguais pela linhagem; contudo, não é possível que todos sejam iguais em diligência, inteligência, beleza e prosperidade. Os inimigos, semeando entre o povo de uma república o senso de diferença e subornando alguns com riqueza, podem cindir toda uma confederação. Portanto, a unidade—permanecerem ligados como um só corpo—é o grande refúgio dos cidadãos de uma república.”

Word by Word

• जात्या: by birth/caste
• जात्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सदृशाः: similar/alike
• सदृशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुलेन: by family/lineage
• कुलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सदृशाः: similar/alike
• सदृशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• enemies (śatravaḥ)
• gaṇarāṣṭra (republic/commonwealth)
• saṅgha (confederation/assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even if people share the same birth and lineage, differences in capability and fortune remain; hostile forces exploit these differences through factionalism and bribery. Hence, collective unity is the strongest protection for a republic or confederation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma after the war, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on political stability, warning how enemies fracture gaṇa-states by creating internal divisions and buying off individuals, and urging steadfast cohesion.