Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.14.18
आत्मानं प्रकृतिष्वद्धा निधाय श्रेय आप्नुयात् ।
राज्ञा तथा प्रकृतयो नरदेवाहिताधय: ॥ १८ ॥
ātmānaṁ prakṛtiṣv addhā
[aatmaanam prakritishv addhaa]
nidhāya śreya āpnuyāt
[nidhaaya shreya aapnuyaat]
rājñā tathā prakṛtayo
[raajnaa tathaa prakritayo]
naradevāhitādhayaḥ
[naradevaahitaadhayah]
Word-for-word
ātmānam
—
himself
prakṛtiṣu
—
under these seven royal elements
addhā
—
directly
nidhāya
—
placing
śreyaḥ
—
ultimate happiness
āpnuyāt
—
may obtain
rājñā
—
by the king
tathā
—
so also
prakṛtayaḥ
—
the dependent royal elements
nara-deva
—
O King
āhita-adhayaḥ
—
offering wealth and other items.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ātmānaṁ prakṛtiṣv addhā
ātmānam
himself
prakṛtiṣu
under these seven royal elements
addhā
directly
nidhāya śreya āpnuyāt
nidhāya
placing
śreyaḥ
ultimate happiness
āpnuyāt
may obtain
rājñā tathā prakṛtayo
rājñā
by the king
tathā
so also
prakṛtayaḥ
the dependent royal elements
naradevāhitādhayaḥ
nara-deva
O King
āhita-adhayaḥ
offering wealth and other items.
O King, O lord of humanity, when a king directly depends upon his associates and follows their instructions, he is happy. Similarly, when his associates offer their gifts and activities to the king and follow his orders, they are also happy.
Purport
The actual happiness of a king and his dependents is described in this verse. A king should not simply give orders to his dependents because he is supreme; sometimes he must follow their instructions. Similarly, the dependents should depend on the king. This mutual dependence will make everyone happy.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O King! When a king directly depends upon his associates and follows their instructions, he is happy. Similarly, when his associates offer their gifts and activities to the king and follow his orders, they are also happy.
When the king gives all his duties to his ministers the kingdom is happy. O King! Ministers who offer wealth, horses and elephants, cause of anxiety and greed, to the king, are protected by the king. Another version has āhatādhayaḥ: ministers whose anxieties are destroyed by the king become happy.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
A king who depends on his associates and follows their advice is happy; associates who offer their work and follow his orders are happy. Wellbeing flows when authority and service are mutual.
Reflection Questions
- Where is the mutual flow broken in my key relationships?
- Whose advice am I refusing to depend on?
My note
Source: vedabase.io