Shloka 19

Kośārtha-Rājadharma: Ethical Revenue Collection and Social Regulation (कोशार्थ-राजधर्मः)

Devanagari script

भोक्ता तस्य तु पापस्थ सुकृतस्य यथा तथा । नियन्तव्या: सदा राज्ञा पापा ये स्युर्नराधिप

Transliteration

bhoktā tasya tu pāpastha sukṛtasya yathā tathā | niyantavyāḥ sadā rājñā pāpā ye syur narādhipa || nareśvara |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，君主既分担其国中所作诸罪的一部分，也同样获得其中所积诸福的一部分。故而，人中之主啊，国王当常常约束并惩治趋向邪恶之人，使其受制于法度——因为王国的道德重担，终究必然落及王座。”

Word by Word

• भोक्ता: enjoyer/partaker
• भोक्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोक्तृ (भुज् धातु-निष्पन्न कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/of that (king)
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पापस्थ: O sinful one / O one standing in sin
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापस्थ (पाप + स्थ)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सुकृतस्य: of merit/virtue
• सुकृतस्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत (सु + कृत)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

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

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

• नियन्तव्याः: to be restrained/controlled
• नियन्तव्याः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-यम् (धातु) → नियन्तव्य (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पापाः: sinful (people)
• पापाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्युः: might be/should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural

• नराधिप: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (नर + अधिप)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नरेश्वर: O ruler of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर (नर + ईश्वर)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (narādhipa/nareśvara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king is morally implicated in the conduct of his realm: he shares in a portion of both sin and merit generated under his rule. Therefore, he must actively restrain and punish wrongdoing to protect dharma and to avoid accruing the kingdom’s moral fault.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising the king on governance after the war. Here he emphasizes the ruler’s responsibility to maintain order and righteousness, warning that the king partakes in the karmic consequences of his subjects’ actions.