Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कोष्ठागारमसंहार्यराप्तै: संचयतत्परै: । पात्रभूतैरलुब्धैश्व पाल्यमानं गुणी भवेत्‌,यदि लोभवश फूट न सकनेवाले, विश्वासपात्र, संग्रही, सुपात्र एवं निर्लोभ मनुष्य अन्नादि भण्डारकी रक्षामें तत्पर हों तो उसकी विशेष उन्नति होती है

Transliteration

koṣṭhāgāram asaṃhārya-rāptaiḥ saṃcaya-tatparaiḥ | pātra-bhūtair alubdhaiś ca pālyamānaṃ guṇī bhavet ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—చొరబడలేని ధాన్యాగారం, విశ్వాసపాత్రులైన, సేకరణలో నిమగ్నులైన, బాధ్యతకు తగినవారైన, లోభరహిత సంరక్షకులచే కాపాడబడితే—అది గుణవంతమై అభివృద్ధి చెందుతుంది।

Word by Word

कोष्ठागारम्storehouse/granary

असंहार्यम्not to be destroyed/undiminishable

आप्तैःby trustworthy persons

संचयतत्परैःby those intent on accumulation/stocking

पात्रभूतैःby those who have become fit/qualified (worthy)

अलुब्धैःby the non-greedy

चand

पाल्यमानम्being protected/guarded

गुणीpossessed of excellence/prosperous

भवेत्would become

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

koṣṭhāgāra (granary/storehouse)

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?

Wealth and public resources prosper when entrusted to secure systems and to guardians who are competent, trustworthy, and free from greed; integrity and fitness for responsibility are the true protection of a treasury.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous rule and social order, Bhīṣma advises the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) using the example of a granary: proper safeguarding by qualified, non-greedy custodians leads to growth and stability.