Mahabharata · 1.159.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
लाभं लब्धुम् अलब्धं हि लब्धं च परिरक्षितुम् ॥
पुरोहितं प्रकुर्वीत राजा गुणसमन्वितम् ॥
पुरोहितमते तिष्ठेद् य इच्छेत् पृथिवीं नृपः ॥
प्राप्तुं मेरुवरोत्तंसां सर्वशः सागराम्बराम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
lābhaṃ labdhum alabdhaṃ hi labdhaṃ ca parirakṣitum ||
purohitaṃ prakurvīta rājā guṇasamanvitam ||
purohitamate tiṣṭhed ya icchet pṛthivīṃ nṛpaḥ ||
prāptuṃ meruvarottaṃsāṃ sarvaśaḥ sāgarāmbarām ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
लाभं लब्धुम् अलब्धं हि लब्धं च परिरक्षितुम्lābhaṃ labdhum alabdhaṃ hi labdhaṃ ca parirakṣitumin order to gain what is not yet gained and to preserve what is gained,
पुरोहितं प्रकुर्वीत राजा गुणसमन्वितम्purohitaṃ prakurvīta rājā guṇasamanvitamlet the king appoint a purohita endowed with virtues;
पुरोहितमते तिष्ठेत् यः इच्छेत् पृथिवीं नृपःpurohitamate tiṣṭhet yaḥ icchet pṛthivīṃ nṛpaḥlet that king abide by the counsel of the purohita who desires [all] the earth
प्राप्तुं मेरुवरोत्तंसां सर्वशः सागराम्बराम्prāptuṃ meruvarottaṃsāṃ sarvaśaḥ sāgarāmbarāmto obtain, crowned with the finest [peak,] Meru, girdled on every side by the ocean;
तिष्ठेद्tiṣṭhedoriginal form "tiṣṭhed", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यyaoriginal form "ya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"In order to gain what is not yet gained, and to preserve what is gained, let the king appoint a purohita endowed with virtues; and let that king who desires to win the whole earth -- crowned with the finest peak, Meru, girdled on every side by the ocean -- abide by the counsel of his purohita."
Version
04153dbd32e6 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the purohita is shown as the support of both gaining and keeping. It is telling that his counsel is needed not only for conquest but also for holding what has been won: spiritual guidance is needed by power at all times, not only in hardship. Here it is revealed that worldly success stands firm only when directed by the wisdom of a holy man. Telling too is the condition -- "to abide by the counsel of the purohita": a king must not merely keep a brahmin, but listen to him. Thus the scripture shows that both the gaining and the keeping of a kingdom rest on the king's submission to his spiritual guide.