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

毗湿摩说道：“国王应当择友：交游良善、知恩报德、见闻广博；远离贪欲；性情温和、德行精雅；守真不移、誓言坚定；并已制伏诸根。这样的人——品行端正、名望昭著——是正法王政与邦国安定的可靠支柱。”

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.