Shloka 34
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
अशिष्टनिग्रहो नित्यं शिष्टस्य परिपालनम् । एवं शुक्रो 5ब्रवीद् धीमानापत्सु भरतर्षभ
aśiṣṭa-nigraho nityaṁ śiṣṭasya paripālanam | evaṁ śukro ’bravīd dhīmān āpatsu bharatarṣabha ||
Bhishma said: “At all times one should restrain the unruly and protect the well-conducted. Such, O bull among the Bharatas, is the wise teaching that Shukra declared—this duty holds even in times of calamity.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ruler’s ethical duty is twofold and constant: restrain wrongdoers (aśiṣṭa-nigraha) and protect the virtuous (śiṣṭa-paripālana). This obligation does not lapse even during emergencies or political crises.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira and supports his counsel by citing the authoritative maxim of Shukra, emphasizing steady enforcement of order and protection of good people even in times of distress.