Shloka 30

Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)

Devanagari script

कृत्स्नमेते विनिक्षिप्ता: प्रतिरूपेषु कर्मसु । युक्ता महत्सु कार्येषु श्रेयांस्युत्थापयन्त्युत

Transliteration

kṛtsnam ete vinikṣiptāḥ pratirūpeṣu karmasu | yuktā mahatsu kāryeṣu śreyāṃsy utthāpayanty uta ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Todos eles devem ser plenamente colocados em deveres correspondentes e nas formas corretas de ação. Assim devidamente engajados em grandes empreendimentos, fazem surgir e elevam o que é verdadeiramente benéfico (śreyas).”

Word by Word

कृत्स्नम्entire, whole

एतेthese (persons)

विनिक्षिप्ताःplaced, deposited, assigned

प्रतिरूपेषुin fitting/appropriate

कर्मसुin actions, in duties

युक्ताःyoked, engaged, devoted

महत्सुin great (matters)

कार्येषुin tasks, in undertakings

श्रेयांसिbenefits, better results, welfare

उत्थापयन्तिraise up, bring about, promote

उतindeed, also, even

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

The verse teaches that qualities, resources, or people should be assigned wholly to the duties that properly match them (pratirūpa-karma). When correctly aligned and disciplined in significant responsibilities, they generate śreyas—true welfare and higher good—rather than mere immediate gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and statecraft. Here he emphasizes proper placement and engagement in fitting actions—an administrative and ethical principle that right organization and appropriate duty-allocation lead to beneficial outcomes in major affairs.