Shloka 20
Ākiṃcanya–Tyāga Upadeśa
The Instruction on Non-ownership and Renunciation
राजधर्मेति विख्यातो बभूवाप्रतिमो भुवि । देवकन्यासुत: श्रीमान् विद्वान् देवसमप्रभ:
bhīṣma uvāca | rājadharmeti vikhyāto babhūvāpratimo bhuvi | devakanyāsutaḥ śrīmān vidvān devasamaprabhaḥ ||
قال بهيشما: «ذلك الطائر الذي لا نظير له ذاع صيته في الأرض باسم “راجادهَرما” (Rājadharma: واجب الملك/شريعة المُلك)، لا يُدانى بين الناس. ولأنه وُلد من حورية سماوية، كان ذا بهاءٍ مبارك وإشراقٍ كإشراق الآلهة؛ وكان عالمًا، يبدو كأنه مُنِحَ لمعانًا إلهيًّا.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates rājadharma—righteous royal conduct—as an ideal so eminent that it is personified and praised as incomparable. It implies that true kingship is measured by ethical governance, learning, and a luminous (almost divine) character.
Bhishma introduces or describes a remarkable figure known as “Rājadharma,” emphasizing his unmatched reputation on earth, his celestial birth, his learning, and his godlike radiance—setting a tone of reverence for the standards of ideal rule.