Shloka 17
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
हुमत्सेन उवाच यत्र यत्रैव शक््येरन् संयन्तुं समये प्रजा: । स तावान प्रोच्यते धर्मो यावन्न प्रतिलड्घ्यते
Humatsena uvāca | yatra yatraiva śakyeran saṁyantuṁ samaye prajāḥ | sa tāvān procyate dharmo yāvanna pratilaghyate ||
দ্যুমৎসেন বললেন—পুত্র! যেখানে-যেখানে, যখন-যখন প্রজাকে নিয়ম-শৃঙ্খলার সীমার মধ্যে সংযত রাখা যায়, সেই ব্যবস্থাই ধর্ম বলে গণ্য হয়—যতক্ষণ না তাতে ধর্মেরই লঙ্ঘন ঘটে।
हुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Regulation of society is itself dharma only to the extent that it stays within dharma’s limits; governance must not become a pretext for violating righteousness.
Humatsena instructs his son on statecraft and moral governance, defining dharma pragmatically as the permissible scope of social restraint that does not cross into adharma.