Shloka 15

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

शिल्पं प्रति करानेवं शिल्पिन: प्रति कारयेत्‌ । इसी तरह मालकी तैयारी, उसकी खपत तथा शिल्पकी उत्तम-मध्यम आदि श्रेणियोंका बार-बार निरीक्षण करके शिल्प एवं शिल्पकारोंपर कर लगावे ।।

Transliteration

śilpaṁ prati kārāṇeva śilpinaḥ prati kārayet |

Translation

毗湿摩劝诫由提施提罗论公正治国：国王当衡量工艺与工匠，察其产出与做工；又当反复检验货物的上、中、下等品级及其在市井间的流通，然后据此征税。税赋须合乎比例——随民力而高下——使百姓不至陷于困厄；财政之策应以实际劳作与真实利润为准绳，而非任意横征。

Word by Word

• शिल्पम्: craft; workmanship
• शिल्पम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्प
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards; with regard to
• प्रति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• करान्: taxes; levies
• करान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एवम्: thus; in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• शिल्पिनः: of the artisan; of the craftsman
• शिल्पिनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्पिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रति: towards; with regard to
• प्रति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• कारयेत्: should cause to be made/done; should levy/collect (by causing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Vidhi-ling (Optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Singular, Causative (णिच्)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• mahārāja (the king)
• śilpin (artisans/craftsmen)
• prajā (subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must levy taxes with discernment and compassion: assess actual production, quality, and profit in crafts and trade, and impose proportionate taxes so that subjects are not pushed into hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue on rājadharma, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on practical statecraft—especially how to supervise economic activity (crafts and markets) and set fair, capacity-based taxation.