Shloka 16
मयूरवद्राजधर्मः (Mayūra-vat Rāja-dharma) — The Peacock-Model of Protective Kingship
कोशक्न सततं रक्ष्यो यत्नमास्थाय राजभि: । कोशमूला हि राजान: कोशो वृद्धिकरो भवेत्,राजाओंको पूरा प्रयत्न करके निरन्तर अपने कोषकी रक्षा करनी चाहिये; क्योंकि कोष ही उनकी जड़ है, कोष ही उन्हें आगे बढ़ानेवाला होता है
kośaḥ satataṁ rakṣyo yatnam āsthāya rājabhiḥ | kośamūlā hi rājānaḥ kośo vṛddhikaro bhavet ||
Bhīṣma said: A king must, with sustained effort, continually safeguard the treasury. For rulers are rooted in the treasury: it is the treasury that enables stability, governance, and growth.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that a ruler’s capacity to uphold dharma in practice—administration, protection, welfare, and stability—depends on a well-protected treasury; therefore the king must guard it continuously and diligently.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma is advising the king on principles of governance, emphasizing the treasury as the foundational support of royal power and public administration.