Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 21
भीष्मस्योत्तरायणप्रतीक्षा तथा युधिष्ठिरागमनम् | Bhīṣma’s uttarāyaṇa moment and Yudhiṣṭhira’s arrival
समश्रितानां वरद: शत्रूणामपि धर्मवित् | नीतिज्ञो नीतिसम्पन्नो ब्रह्मवादी जितेन्द्रियः
samaśritānāṁ varadaḥ śatrūṇām api dharmavit | nītijño nītisampanno brahmavādī jitendriyaḥ ||
He grants boons to all who take refuge in him—even to enemies—and he understands dharma even in relation to those who oppose him. Skilled in statecraft and complete in right conduct, he knows and proclaims Brahman and has conquered his senses—an ideal ruler-protector whose generosity and moral clarity extend even to former foes.
ईश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an ethical ideal: true greatness combines protection of the vulnerable with principled conduct toward all, even enemies. Mastery of nīti (practical governance) must be grounded in dharma and inner self-control (jitendriya), so that power expresses generosity, restraint, and moral clarity rather than vengeance.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, the speaker (Īśvara) describes the defining virtues of an exemplary protector/ruler: one who grants refuge and boons, understands dharma, is skilled in policy, speaks spiritual truth, and has conquered the senses—thereby framing the standards by which leadership and character are to be judged.