अध्याय ७२ — राजधर्मः: प्रजारक्षण, कर-नीति, दण्ड-नीति, अमात्य-नियोजन
Chapter 72 — Royal Duty: protection of subjects, taxation, punishment, and appointments
यदल्ला कुरुते धर्म प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् । दशवर्षसहस्राणि तस्य भुंक्ते फलं दिवि
yad ahar kurute dharmaṁ prajā dharmeṇa pālayan | daśavarṣasahasrāṇi tasya bhuṅkte phalaṁ divi ||
ধৰ্মমতে প্ৰজাক পালন কৰি ৰজাই একেদিনতে যি পুণ্য অৰ্জন কৰে, তাৰ ফল তেওঁ স্বৰ্গলোকে দশ সহস্ৰ বছৰ ভোগ কৰে।
भीष्म उवाच
A ruler’s highest daily duty is dharmic protection of the people; the merit gained from such just governance is extraordinarily amplified, yielding long enjoyment of its फल (reward) in heaven.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on राजधर्म (the duties of kings), Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira about the spiritual and ethical consequences of rulership, emphasizing that protecting subjects according to dharma brings immense पुण्य (merit).