Shloka 24

राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order

Devanagari script

धान्यस्य दशमं भागं दास्याम: कोशवर्धनम्‌ | कन्यां शुल्के चारुरूपां विवाहेषूद्यतासु च

Transliteration

dhānyasya daśamaṁ bhāgaṁ dāsyāmaḥ kośavardhanam | kanyāṁ śulke cārurūpāṁ vivāheṣūdyatāsu ca ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“我们将以谷物收成的十分之一作为增益国库之贡赋；而在婚嫁之时，当诸家族筹备婚礼，我们也将献上一位容貌姣好的少女作为婚资（śulka）。”

Word by Word

• धान्यस्य: of grain
• धान्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• दशमम्: tenth
• दशमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भागम्: share/portion
• भागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दास्यामः: we shall give
• दास्यामः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Plural

• कोशवर्धनम्: increasing the treasury
• कोशवर्धनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोशवर्धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कन्याम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शुल्के: as bride-price/dowry (in the fee)
• शुल्के: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• चारुरूपाम्: beautiful in form
• चारुरूपाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारुरूपा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विवाहेषु: in marriages
• विवाहेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• उद्यतासु: when (they are) ready/undertaken
• उद्यतासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kośa (royal treasury)
• dhānya (grain)
• kanyā (maiden/bride)
• śulka (bride-price)
• vivāha (marriage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That a kingdom’s stability depends on orderly, rule-bound economic measures (like a fixed share of produce) and on maintaining social institutions (like marriage) through recognized customs—both ideally governed by dharma rather than arbitrariness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing practical arrangements connected with governance and social regulation: allocating a tenth of grain to strengthen the treasury and referencing marriage-related payments involving a maiden and śulka when weddings are being arranged.