Shloka 20
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
परिनिछितकार्यस्तु नृपति: परिपालनात् | कुर्यादन्यन्न वा कुयदिन्द्रो राजन्य उच्यते
pariniścita-kāryas tu nṛpatiḥ paripālanāt | kuryād anyan na vā kuryād indro rājanya ucyate ||
Bhishma sprach: Ein König, der fest bestimmt hat, was zu tun ist, soll zum Schutz und zur rechten Verwaltung seines Reiches handeln. Ob er weitere Maßnahmen ergreift oder davon absieht—er heißt „Indra unter den Königen“, wenn seine Herrschaft auf entschlossener Pflichterfüllung und dem Schutz seiner Untertanen beruht.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler becomes truly exemplary (‘Indra among kings’) by decisively discerning his duty and prioritizing the protection and orderly maintenance of the realm; excellence in kingship is measured by steadfast governance, not by mere activity for its own sake.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on standards of ideal rule, emphasizing resolute decision-making and the central obligation of safeguarding subjects as the hallmark of royal greatness.