Shloka 38

राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः

Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration

Devanagari script

अजस्मुपयोक्तव्यं फलं गोमिषु भारत । प्रभावयन्ति राष्ट्र च व्यवहारं कृषिं तथा

Transliteration

ajas mupayoktavyaṁ phalaṁ gomiṣu bhārata | prabhāvayanti rāṣṭraṁ ca vyavahāraṁ kṛṣiṁ tathā |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，婆罗多啊，当不失时机地将劳作应得之果报予人——尤其是从事贸易与商贾之业者。因为正是他们维系货物与服务之交换，支撑诸业与生计，乃至推动农耕，从而使国度强盛。故公正的酬报乃王者之责，用以保全繁荣与社会秩序。”

Word by Word

• अजस्रम्: always, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अजस्र
• Form: avyaya (adverb)

• उपयोक्तव्यम्: should be given/assigned (is to be bestowed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपयुज्
• Form: gerundive (तव्यत्), neuter nominative/accusative singular; impersonal obligation

• फलम्: fruit, reward
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: neuter accusative singular

• गोमिषु: among cows / in cattle (context: in matters of cattle/wealth)
• गोमिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: masculine locative plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: masculine vocative singular

• प्रभावयन्ति: they promote, they cause to flourish
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रभावय्
• Form: present tense (लट्), parasmaipada, 3rd person plural

• राष्ट्रम्: the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: neuter accusative singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: avyaya (conjunction)

• व्यवहारम्: commerce, business dealings
• व्यवहारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवहार
• Form: masculine accusative singular

• कृषिम्: agriculture, farming
• कृषिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि
• Form: feminine accusative singular

• तथा: likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा
• Form: avyaya (adverb)

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: masculine vocative singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Bharata (addressed king)
• rāṣṭra (the kingdom/state)
• vyavahāra (commerce/transactions)
• kṛṣi (agriculture)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler (and society) must ensure fair and timely recompense for labor, especially for those who sustain commerce and production, because their well-being directly supports the prosperity and stability of the state.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma advises the Bharata king on practical governance: rewarding and supporting traders and productive classes so that commerce, occupations, and agriculture flourish in the kingdom.