Shloka 80

तीर्थवंशोपदेशः

Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters

Devanagari script

अगोप्तारश्न॒ राजानो बलिषड्भागतस्करा: । समर्थाक्षाप्पदातारस्ते वै निरयगामिन:

Transliteration

agoptāraś ca rājāno bali-ṣaḍbhāga-taskarāḥ | samarthāś cāpy adātāras te vai niraya-gāminaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Những vị vua không bảo hộ thần dân, nhưng lại thu lấy một phần sáu thu nhập của dân làm cống nạp—như kẻ trộm—và những kẻ tuy có của cải mà vẫn không bố thí: hạng người ấy chắc chắn rơi vào địa ngục. Câu kệ đặt ra rằng nguồn thu của vương quyền chỉ chính đáng khi đi đôi với bổn phận che chở và lòng rộng rãi.

Word by Word

• अगोप्तारः: non-protectors (those who do not protect)
• अगोप्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-गोप्तृ (गोप्तृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलि-षड्भाग-तस्कराः: thieves of the tax (the sixth share) as tribute
• बलि-षड्भाग-तस्कराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्कर (with बलि, षड्भाग as qualifiers)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समर्थाः: capable, able
• समर्थाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अ-प्रदातारः: non-givers (those who do not give)
• अ-प्रदातारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-प्रदातृ (प्रदातृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• निरय-गामिनः: hell-going, destined for hell
• निरय-गामिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गामिन् (from √गम्) with निरय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• subjects/people (implied)
• bali (tribute/tax)
• niraya (hell)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Taxation is justified only when the ruler fulfills dharma: protecting the people and practicing generosity. Taking revenue without protection is equated with theft, and stinginess despite capacity is condemned; both lead to severe karmic consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (especially duties of rulers), he warns about the moral accountability of kings: failure in protection and charity, while still extracting the traditional one-sixth levy, is portrayed as criminal and spiritually ruinous.