Shloka 5

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

अलब्धस्य कथं लिप्सा लब्धं केन विवर्धते । वर्धितं पाल्यते केन पालितं प्रणयेत्‌ कथम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | alabdhasya kathaṃ lipsā labdhaṃ kena vivardhate | vardhitaṃ pālyate kena pālitaṃ praṇayet katham |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Làm sao khởi được lòng ham muốn và phương cách để đạt điều chưa đạt? Nhờ đâu của cải đã có lại tăng trưởng? Bởi ai hay bởi điều gì của cải tăng trưởng được bảo hộ? Và khi đã được bảo hộ rồi, phải hướng của cải ấy vào đâu, dùng thế nào cho đúng đạo?”

Word by Word

• अलब्धस्य: of the unacquired (thing)
• अलब्धस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलब्ध (√लभ + क्त, न-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• लिप्सा: desire, longing
• लिप्सा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिप्सा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• लब्धम्: what is obtained
• लब्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध (√लभ + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• केन: by whom/with what?
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विवर्धते: increases, grows
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √वृध्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• वर्धितम्: what has been increased
• वर्धितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्धित (√वृध् + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पाल्यते: is protected/maintained
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पाल्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Passive

• केन: by whom/with what?
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पालितम्: what has been protected
• पालितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पालित (√पाल् + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• प्रणयेत्: should employ/use (properly), should apply
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √नी
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma outlines a fourfold ethical inquiry about artha (resources/wealth): (1) how to seek and obtain what is lacking, (2) how to increase what is obtained, (3) how to protect what has grown, and (4) how to employ protected wealth in a proper, dharmic way—implying that wealth is meaningful only when acquired, managed, and used under dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira. Here he frames the discussion by posing sequential questions about the lifecycle of wealth—acquisition, growth, protection, and righteous utilization—setting up guidance on prudent and ethical statecraft and household management.