Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

कृतपापस्त्वसौ राजा य एतान्‌ न नियच्छति । तथा कृतस्य धर्मस्य चतुर्भागमुपाश्ुते

Transliteration

kṛtapāpas tv asau rājā ya etān na niyacchati | tathā kṛtasya dharmasya caturbhāgam upāśnute ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：国王若不约束此等作恶之人，便也被视为造罪者；而能遏止、镇压罪人之王，则得与臣民所修之功德同分——受其所行法（dharma）之四分之一——因为他以施行纪律来护持道德秩序。

Word by Word

• कृतपापः: sinful; having committed sin
• कृतपापः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतपाप (कृ + पाप)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• असौ: that (person); he
• असौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: असौ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतान्: these (people)
• एतान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• नियच्छति: restrains; controls
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + यम्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कृतस्य: of (what is) done; of performed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मस्य: of merit; of righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• चतुर्भागम्: a fourth part
• चतुर्भागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्भाग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपाश्नुते: enjoys; obtains; partakes of
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + अश्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king/ruler)
• etān (the wrongdoers/sinners—implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler is morally accountable for public order: failing to restrain wrongdoers makes the king complicit in their sin, while enforcing restraint and punishment earns the king a share (one fourth) of the subjects’ accumulated merit because he safeguards dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about governance. Here he explains the ethical consequence for a king regarding control of sinful people: negligence brings sin; active restraint brings a portion of the people’s merit.