Mahabharata · 2.5.38–39
॥
Devanāgarī
कच्चिद् बलस्य भक्तं च वेतनं च यथोचितम् ॥
संप्राप्तकालं दातव्यं ददासि न विकर्षसि ॥
कालातिक्रमणाद् ध्य् एते भक्तवेतनयोर् भृताः ॥
भर्तुः कुप्यन्ति दौर्गत्यात् सो ऽनर्थः सुमहान् स्मृतः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kaccid balasya bhaktaṃ ca vetanaṃ ca yathocitam ||
saṃprāptakālaṃ dātavyaṃ dadāsi na vikarṣasi ||
kālātikramaṇād dhy ete bhaktavetanayor bhṛtāḥ ||
bhartuḥ kupyanti daurgatyāt so 'narthaḥ sumahān smṛtaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कच्चित् बलस्य भक्तम् च वेतनम् च यथा-उचितम्kaccit balasya bhaktam ca vetanam ca yathā-ucitamI hope you give the army food and pay, as is fitting,
संप्राप्त-कालम् दातव्यम् ददासि न विकर्षसिsaṃprāpta-kālam dātavyam dadāsi na vikarṣasiat the appointed time, what is due, and you do not withhold it;
काल-अतिक्रमणात् हि एते भक्त-वेतनयोः भृताःkāla-atikramaṇāt hi ete bhakta-vetanayoḥ bhṛtāḥfor from delay with food and pay, these maintained soldiers,
भर्तुः कुप्यन्ति दौर्गत्यात् सः अनर्थः सु-महान् स्मृतःbhartuḥ kupyanti daurgatyāt saḥ anarthaḥ su-mahān smṛtaḥgrow angry at their lord out of hardship -- and this, it is said, is a very great evil.
कच्चिद्kaccidoriginal form "kaccid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भक्तंbhaktaṃoriginal form "bhaktaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेतनंvetanaṃoriginal form "vetanaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथोचितम्yathocitamoriginal form "yathocitam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संप्राप्तकालंsaṃprāptakālaṃoriginal form "saṃprāptakālaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दातव्यंdātavyaṃoriginal form "dātavyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कालातिक्रमणाद्kālātikramaṇādoriginal form "kālātikramaṇād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ध्य्dhyoriginal form "dhy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भक्तवेतनयोर्bhaktavetanayororiginal form "bhaktavetanayor", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽनर्थः'narthaḥoriginal form "'narthaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुमहान्sumahānoriginal form "sumahān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
I hope you give the army its food and pay, as is fitting, at the appointed time, and do not withhold what is due? For from delay in food and pay, the maintained soldiers grow angry at their lord out of hardship -- and this, it is said, is a very great evil.
Version
2b8b49796ac9 · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here fairness to the army is not generosity but duty and calculation. It is telling that delayed pay is called "a very great evil": unpaid loyalty turns to anger, and the discontent of one's own is more dangerous than an enemy. Thus scripture shows timely payment as the support of devotion; what follows concerns the subjects' love and worthy rule.