Shloka 30

Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies

Gaṇa-nīti

Devanagari script

जात्या च सदृशा: सर्वे कुलेन सदृशास्तथा

Transliteration

jātyā ca sadṛśāḥ sarve kulena sadṛśās tathā | udyogabuddhirūpasampattau tu na sarveṣām ekarūpatā sambhavati || śatravaḥ gaṇarāṣṭreṣu bhedabuddhiṃ janayitvā tebhyaś ca kecid dhanena krītvā api sarvasya saṅghasya bhedaṃ kurvanti | tasmāt saṅghabaddhatā eva gaṇarāṣṭranāgarāṇāṃ mahān āśrayaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“众人或可在出身上相同，也可在宗族上相同；然而不可能人人在事业进取、智慧才识、容貌与富足上都一样。敌人只要在共和国的民众中播下差别之念，又以财物贿赂其中一些人，便能使整个联邦分裂。因此，团结——如同一体般紧密相系——乃共和国公民的伟大依归。”

Word by Word

• जात्या: by birth/caste
• जात्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• सदृशाः: similar/alike
• सदृशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुलेन: by family/lineage
• कुलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सदृशाः: similar/alike
• सदृशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• enemies (śatravaḥ)
• gaṇarāṣṭra (republic/commonwealth)
• saṅgha (confederation/assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even if people share the same birth and lineage, differences in capability and fortune remain; hostile forces exploit these differences through factionalism and bribery. Hence, collective unity is the strongest protection for a republic or confederation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma after the war, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on political stability, warning how enemies fracture gaṇa-states by creating internal divisions and buying off individuals, and urging steadfast cohesion.