Shloka 10

Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)

Devanagari script

युक्तचारं स्वविषये संधिविग्रहकोविदम्‌ । राज्स्त्रिवर्गवेत्तारं पौरजानपदप्रियम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yuktacāraṃ svaviṣaye saṃdhivigrahakovidam | rājñas trivargavettāraṃ paurajānapadapriyam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Nhà vua hãy đặt làm tể tướng người giữ nề nếp trong bổn phận của mình; tinh thông việc xét thời điểm hòa hay chiến; hiểu rõ ba mục tiêu của bậc quân vương—dharma, artha và kāma—và được cả dân thành thị lẫn thôn dã mến yêu.”

Word by Word

• युक्तचारम्: of disciplined conduct / well-behaved
• युक्तचारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्तचार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्वविषये: in his own domain/territory
• स्वविषये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वविषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सन्धिविग्रहकोविदम्: skilled in peace and war (treaty and hostility)
• सन्धिविग्रहकोविदम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्धिविग्रहकोविद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• त्रिवर्गवेत्तारम्: knower of the three aims (dharma-artha-kama)
• त्रिवर्गवेत्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवर्गवेत्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पौरजानपदप्रियम्: dear to townsmen and countryfolk
• पौरजानपदप्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरजानपदप्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the king (rājā/rājñaḥ)
• minister (implied: mantrin/amatya)
• townspeople (paura)
• countryfolk/subjects (jānapada)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s minister should unite personal discipline with strategic intelligence: he must know when peace or conflict is appropriate, understand the balanced pursuit of dharma, artha, and kāma for the ruler, and maintain the trust and affection of both urban and rural subjects.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous governance, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on royal policy, specifying key qualifications for appointing a minister—especially competence in diplomacy/war policy and popularity among the people.