Shloka 32
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
नित्य॑ राष्ट्रमवेक्षेत गोभि: सूर्य इवोदित: । चरान् स्वनुचरान् विद्यात् तथा बुद्धया स्वयं चरेत्,जैसे सूर्य उदित होकर प्रतिदिन अपनी किरणोंद्वारा सम्पूर्ण जगत्को प्रकाशित करते (या देखते) हैं, उसी प्रकार राजा सदा अपनी दृष्टिसे सम्पूर्ण राष्ट्रका निरीक्षण करे। गुप्तचरोंको बारंबार भेजकर राज्यके समाचार जाने तथा स्वयं अपनी बुद्धिके द्वारा भी सोच-विचारकर कार्य करे
nityaṁ rāṣṭram avekṣeta gobhiḥ sūrya ivoditaḥ | carān svānucarān vidyāt tathā buddhyā svayaṁ caret ||
Bhishma said: “A king should constantly keep watch over his realm, like the risen sun that surveys the world with its rays. He should learn the state of affairs through spies and trusted agents, and also act after personally reflecting with his own intelligence.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma includes continuous oversight of the realm: gathering reliable intelligence through spies and agents, and then deciding through personal discernment rather than acting blindly or only on hearsay.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the king on practical governance—using the sun as a metaphor for constant, far-reaching observation and emphasizing both intelligence networks and the ruler’s own judgment.