Mahabharata · 2.5.67–68
॥
Devanāgarī
कच्चिद् राष्ट्रे तडागानि पूर्णानि च महान्ति च ॥
भागशो विनिविष्टानि न कृषिर् देवमातृका ॥
कच्चिद् बीजं च भक्तं च कर्षकायावसीदते ॥
प्रतिकं च शतं वृद्ध्या ददास्य् ऋणम् अनुग्रहम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kaccid rāṣṭre taḍāgāni pūrṇāni ca mahānti ca ||
bhāgaśo viniviṣṭāni na kṛṣir devamātṛkā ||
kaccid bījaṃ ca bhaktaṃ ca karṣakāyāvasīdate ||
pratikaṃ ca śataṃ vṛddhyā dadāsy ṛṇam anugraham ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कच्चित् राष्ट्रे तडागानि पूर्णानि च महान्ति चkaccit rāṣṭre taḍāgāni pūrṇāni ca mahānti caI hope that in the kingdom the reservoirs are full and vast,
भागशः विनिविष्टानि न कृषिः देव-मातृकाbhāgaśaḥ viniviṣṭāni na kṛṣiḥ deva-mātṛkādistributed by districts, so that agriculture is not [solely] "fed by heaven" [does not depend only on rain];
कच्चित् बीजम् च भक्तम् च कर्षकाय अवसीदतेkaccit bījam ca bhaktam ca karṣakāya avasīdateI hope that for the farmer neither seed nor food runs short,
प्रतिकम् च शतम् वृद्ध्या ददासि ऋणम् अनुग्रहम्pratikam ca śatam vṛddhyā dadāsi ṛṇam anugrahamand that you grant loans at [only] a hundred per hundred in interest—for [their] good?
कच्चिद्kaccidoriginal form "kaccid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भागशोbhāgaśooriginal form "bhāgaśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृषिर्kṛṣiroriginal form "kṛṣir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवमातृकाdevamātṛkāoriginal form "devamātṛkā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कच्चिद्kaccidoriginal form "kaccid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बीजंbījaṃoriginal form "bījaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भक्तंbhaktaṃoriginal form "bhaktaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कर्षकायावसीदतेkarṣakāyāvasīdateoriginal form "karṣakāyāvasīdate", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रतिकंpratikaṃoriginal form "pratikaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शतंśataṃoriginal form "śataṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ददास्य्dadāsyoriginal form "dadāsy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"I hope that in the kingdom the reservoirs are full and vast, distributed by districts, so that agriculture does not depend on rain alone? I hope that the farmer never lacks seed or food, and that you grant him loans for his benefit—at [only] a hundred percent interest [a moderate rate]?".
Version
3acc2f54640b · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the king's care descends to the well and the loan to the plowman. It is significant that reservoirs must be arranged so that grain does not depend on the whim of heaven: a ruler's foresight shields the people from famine. And the loan is given "for their good," at a moderate rate: help must not turn into bondage. Thus the scripture shows care for the land as the foremost duty; what follows concerns the management of livelihood.