Shloka 18

मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169

Devanagari script

सम्समित्राश्न कृतज्ञाश्च सर्वज्ञा लोभवर्जिता: । माधुर्यगुणसम्पन्ना: सत्यसंधा जितेन्द्रिया:

Transliteration

samsamitrāś ca kṛtajñāś ca sarvajñā lobhavarjitāḥ | mādhuryaguṇasampannāḥ satyasaṃdhā jitendriyāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Vua nên chọn làm bạn những người có bạn hiền quanh mình, biết ơn và hiểu biết rộng; không tham; tính tình nhu hòa, đức hạnh tinh tế; vững vàng trong chân thật và kiên định với lời thề; đã chế ngự các giác quan. Những người như vậy—hạnh kiểm tốt và danh tiếng vững—là chỗ dựa đáng tin cho vương đạo theo dharma và cho sự ổn định của quốc gia.”

Word by Word

• सम्समित्राः: having good friends / well-friended
• सम्समित्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-समित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्नाः: tireless / not fatigued (in work)
• अश्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृतज्ञाः: grateful
• कृतज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• सर्वज्ञाः: all-knowing / very learned
• सर्वज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लोभवर्जिताः: free from greed
• लोभवर्जिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ-वर्जित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• माधुर्यगुणसम्पन्नाः: endowed with the quality of sweetness (pleasantness)
• माधुर्यगुणसम्पन्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माधुर्य-गुण-सम्पन्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सत्यसंधाः: true to one’s pledge / of truthful resolve
• सत्यसंधाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य-संध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जितेन्द्रियाः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-इन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should form close alliances only with people of proven virtue—especially those free from greed, grateful, truthful, gentle in conduct, and self-controlled—because such friends strengthen righteous governance and prevent corruption.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on practical ethics of rule, here specifying the qualities of men whom a king should accept as trusted friends and associates.