Shloka 15

Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies

Gaṇa-nīti

Devanagari script

अर्थाश्वैवाधिगम्यन्ते संघातबलपौरुषै: । बाह्वाश्र मैत्रीं कुर्वन्ति तेषु संघातवृत्तिषु

Transliteration

arthāś caivādhigamyante saṅghātabala-pauruṣaiḥ | bāhvāśrayā maitrīṃ kurvanti teṣu saṅghāta-vṛttiṣu ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను— ధనం మరియు లోకసంబంధ లాభాలు స్వపక్షపు సంఘబలం, పురుషార్థం వలననే లభిస్తాయి. భుజబలాన్ని ఆశ్రయించినవారు అటువంటి సంఘబద్ధ వర్గాలలోనే మైత్రి (సంధి) కుదుర్చుకుంటారు.

Word by Word

• अर्थाः: objects/ends (wealth, aims)
• अर्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अधिगम्यन्ते: are attained/obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Plural

• संघात: aggregation/union
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघात
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), Singular

• बल: strength
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Stem (in compound), Singular

• पौरुषैः: by manly efforts/valor
• पौरुषैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाह्वाश्र: arm-dependent (relying on one’s arms)
• बाह्वाश्र: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्वाश्र
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मैत्रीम्: friendship
• मैत्रीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्वन्ति: they make/do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• तेषु: among/in those
• तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• संघात: union/combination
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघात
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), Singular

• वृत्तिषु: in the modes of conduct/ways of life
• वृत्तिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma highlights a realistic ethical insight: material success (artha) often comes through factional strength and collective power, and many ‘friendships’ formed in such settings are pragmatic alliances rooted in force and advantage rather than pure goodwill.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma explains to the listener that social and political relationships frequently operate through group power: people obtain gains via their coalition’s strength and cultivate amity within those power-based networks.