Shloka 30
Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana
Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa
स राजा स शिवो राजन् स पिता प्रपितामह: । गोपायति नरश्रेष्ठ प्रजाःसजडपण्डिता:
sa rājā sa śivo rājan sa pitā prapitāmahaḥ | gopāyati naraśreṣṭha prajāḥ sa jaḍapaṇḍitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, he is truly the king; he is auspiciousness itself. He acts for the welfare of all. He is as a father and even a grandsire to his people. O best of men, he protects the subjects in their entirety—both the dull-witted and the wise.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an ideal of rājadharma: a true king is defined by beneficence and protection. He must safeguard all subjects without discrimination—wise and unwise alike—acting as a paternal guardian whose legitimacy rests on welfare and care.
Sañjaya, reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, praises the nature of rightful rulership. In the war-context of Bhīṣma Parva, this functions as a moral frame: even amid conflict, the standard for a ruler is the protection and well-being of the people.