Shloka 7
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
नैकशाखेन धर्मेण राज्ञो धर्मो विधीयते । दुर्बलस्य कुतः प्रज्ञा पुरस्तादनुपाहृता
naikaśākhena dharmeṇa rājño dharmo vidhīyate | durbalasya kutaḥ prajñā purastād anupāhṛtā ||
Bhishma said: A king’s dharma cannot be properly established or carried out by relying on only a single branch of dharma. For a weak ruler, how could true practical wisdom arise, if it was not furnished beforehand through prior training and instruction?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma requires broad, multi-faceted understanding; partial or one-sided knowledge cannot sustain just governance. Without prior instruction and cultivation of discernment, a weak king cannot develop the wisdom needed to rule well.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and ethics, Bhishma continues advising on rajadharma, stressing that kingship demands comprehensive training and that inadequate education leads to deficient judgment in rule.