Shloka 1
अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः
Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal
भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर! राजाको सदा ही उद्योगशील होना चाहिये। जो उद्योग छोड़कर स्त्रीकी भाँति बेकार बैठा रहता है, उस राजाकी प्रशंसा नहीं होती है
bhīṣma uvāca—yudhiṣṭhira! rājā sadāiva udyogaśīlo bhavitavyam. yaḥ udyogaṃ tyaktvā strīvat niṣkriyo niṣīdati, tasya rājñaḥ praśaṃsā na bhavati.
Bhishma said: “Yudhishthira, a king must always be energetic and diligent in action. A ruler who abandons effort and sits idle—like one withdrawn from duty—does not earn praise.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma is sustained, purposeful effort: governance requires constant vigilance and initiative; abandoning enterprise and remaining idle undermines royal excellence and public welfare, so such a ruler is not worthy of praise.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and begins by stressing the foundational quality of rulership—continuous industriousness—contrasting it with blameworthy inactivity.