Shloka 29

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

आकरे लवणे शुल्के तरे नागबले तथा । न्यसेदमात्यान्‌ नृपतिः स्वाप्तान्‌ वा पुरुषान्‌ हितान्‌

Transliteration

ākare lavaṇe śulke tare nāgabale tathā | nyased amātyān nṛpatiḥ svāptān vā puruṣān hitān ||

Translation

سونے وغیرہ کی کانیں، نمک، محصول و ٹیکس، اناج کی منڈیاں، کشتیوں کے گھاٹ اور ہاتھیوں کے لشکر—ان سب مقامات سے حاصل ہونے والی آمدنی کی نگرانی اور جانچ کے لیے بادشاہ کو وزیروں یا اپنے خیرخواہ قابلِ اعتماد آدمیوں کو مقرر کرنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• ākare: in a mine/ore-deposit
• ākare: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākara
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• lavaṇe: in salt (works/market)
• lavaṇe: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: lavaṇa
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• śulke: in toll/customs-duty (collection)
• śulke: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śulka
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• tare: at a ferry/ford
• tare: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: tara
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• nāgabale: in the elephant-force (elephant corps)
• nāgabale: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgabala
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• tathā: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā

• nyaset: should appoint/place
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√as
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• amātyān: ministers
• amātyān: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: amātya
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• nṛpatiḥ: the king
• nṛpatiḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpati
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• svāptān: trusted/faithful (ones)
• svāptān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svāpta
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• vā: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā

• puruṣān: men/persons
• puruṣān: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• hitān: well-disposed/beneficial (to him)
• hitān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpati (king)
• amātya (ministers/officials)
• ākara (mines)
• lavaṇa (salt-works)
• śulka (customs/tolls)
• tara (ferry/ghats)
• nāgabala (elephant corps)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must protect public revenue by appointing trustworthy officials to oversee key income sources—mines, salt, customs, ferries, and elephant establishments—so that wealth is collected lawfully and not lost through negligence or corruption.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the ruler on practical statecraft: setting reliable oversight over major revenue points and strategic departments to ensure stable governance and a secure treasury.