Shloka 34

Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa

The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

यथा क्रमेण पुष्पेभ्यक्षिनोति मधु षघट्पद: । तथा द्रव्यमुपादाय राजा कुर्वीत संचयम्‌

Transliteration

yathā krameṇa puṣpebhyaḥ kṣinoti madhu ṣaṭpadaḥ | tathā dravyam upādāya rājā kurvīta sañcayam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“如蜜蜂循序从众花之中一点一滴采蜜而成蜜，君王亦当从诸臣民处各取少许财物，积而为国库。”

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• क्रमेण: in order; gradually
• क्रमेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पुष्पेभ्यः: from flowers
• पुष्पेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• चिनोति: collects
• Type: Verb
• Root: चि
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मधु: honey; nectar
• मधु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• षट्पदः: the bee (six-footed one)
• षट्पदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्पद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: so; in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• द्रव्यम्: wealth; money
• द्रव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपादाय: having taken; having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुर्वीत: should do; should make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सञ्चयम्: accumulation; collection; reserve
• सञ्चयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सञ्चय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king)
• ṣaṭpada (bee)
• madhu (honey)
• puṣpa (flowers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should raise revenue moderately and gradually—like a bee collecting nectar—so that the burden on any single subject is light, while the state still forms a stable reserve for governance and protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical kingship. Here he uses the bee-and-honey simile to counsel careful, non-oppressive collection of wealth to maintain the royal treasury.