Shloka 9
Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies
Gaṇa-nīti
मैं देखता हूँ, संघबद्ध राज्योंके विनाशका मूल कारण है आपसकी फूट। मेरा विश्वास है कि बहुत-से मनुष्योंके जो समुदाय हैं, उनके लिये किसी गुप्त मन्त्रणा या विचारको छिपाये रखना बहुत ही कठिन है ।।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | paśyāmi saṅghabaddha-rājyānāṃ vināśasya mūla-kāraṇaṃ paraspara-bhedam | mama viśvāso 'sti—bahu-manuṣya-samūheṣu gupta-mantraṇāṃ vā vicāraṃ vā gopayituṃ su-duṣkaram iti || etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ na-akhilena parantapa | yathā ca te na bhidyeraṃs tac ca me vada pārthiva ||
Wika ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “Nakikita ko na ang ugat ng pagbagsak ng mga estadong nagkakaisa ay ang alitang nagmumula sa isa’t isa. Naniniwala ako na sa malalaking pamayanang maraming tao, napakahirap itago ang anumang lihim na payo o balak. O manlulupig ng mga kaaway, nais kong marinig ang lahat nang ganap: sabihin mo sa akin, O hari, sa anong paraan hindi nagkakawatak-watak ang gayong mga unyon o gaṇa sa kanilang sarili.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that the chief danger to confederated polities is internal division, and that secrecy in collective governance is hard; therefore stability depends on practices that prevent factional splits and manage counsel wisely.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of governance, Yudhiṣṭhira questions a kingly authority about why leagues (saṅghas/gaṇas) collapse through discord and asks for a complete explanation of how such unions can remain unbroken.