Shloka 4

Kośa-saṃjanana and Subtle Dharma

Treasury Formation and Fine-Grained Ethics

Devanagari script

अबलस्य कुतः कोशो हाकोशस्य कुतो बलम्‌ । अबलस्य कुतो राज्यमराज्ञ: श्रीर्भवेत्‌ कुत:,यदि राजा बलहीन हो तो उसके पास कोश कैसे रह सकता है? कोशहीनके पास सेना कैसे रह सकती है? जिसके पास सेना ही नहीं है, उसका राज्य कैसे टिक सकता है और राज्यहीनके पास लक्ष्मी कैसे रह सकती है?

Translation

Kung ang hari ay walang lakas, saan manggagaling ang kabang-yaman? Kung walang kabang-yaman, saan manggagaling ang lakas ng hukbo? Kung walang hukbo, paano mananatili ang kaharian? At kung walang kaharian, saan maninirahan ang Lakshmi—ang kasaganaan?

Word by Word

अबलस्यof the weak (one)

कुतःwhence? how (is it possible)?

कोशःtreasury

अकोशस्यof one without a treasury

कुतःwhence? how (is it possible)?

बलम्strength; (military) force

अबलस्यof the weak (one)

कुतःwhence? how (is it possible)?

राज्यम्kingdom; sovereignty

अराज्ञःof one without a king / of a kingless (person/state)

श्रीःprosperity; fortune; Lakṣmī

भवेत्would be; could exist

कुतःwhence? how (is it possible)?

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes