Shloka 11
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
जब राजा प्रमाद करने लगता है, तब उसकी स्त्री, पुत्र, बान्धव तथा सुहृद् सब मिलकर शोक करते हैं ।।
hastino ’śvāś ca gāvaś cāpy uṣṭrāḥ śvataragardabhāḥ | adharmabhūte nṛpatau sarve sīdanti jantavaḥ ||
قال أوتاثيا: حين يستقرّ الملك في الجور، لا يقف الضرر عند حدود البلاط وحده. حتى دوابّ المملكة—الفيلة والخيول والبقر والإبل والبغال والحمير—تقع في الضيق؛ إذ تحت سلطانٍ غلبت عليه الأدارما تذبل جميع الكائنات وتذوق العناء.
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s adharma harms the entire ecosystem of the kingdom: governance is a moral force whose effects reach beyond humans to all living beings, including animals dependent on the state’s order and care.
In the Shanti Parva’s discourse on rājadharma, Utathya warns that when a king becomes unrighteous, widespread suffering follows—symbolized by the distress of royal and agrarian animals (elephants, horses, cattle, and beasts of burden), implying collapse of prosperity and protection.