Shloka 14
अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः
Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal
त्रय्यां संवृतमन्त्रश्न॒ राजा भवितुम्ति । वृजिनं च नरेन्द्राणां नान्यच्चारक्षणात् परम्,जिसने अपने मनको वशमें कर लिया है, क्रोधको जीत लिया है तथा शास््त्रोंके सिद्धान्तका निश्चयात्मक ज्ञान प्राप्त कर लिया है, जो धर्म, अर्थ, काम और मोक्षके प्रयत्नमें निरन्तर लगा रहता है, जिसे तीनों वेदोंका ज्ञान है तथा जो अपने गुप्त विचारोंको दूसरोंपर प्रकट नहीं होने देता है, वही राजा होने योग्य है, प्रजाकी रक्षा न करनेसे बढ़कर राजाओंके लिये दूसरा कोई पाप नहीं है
trayyāṃ saṃvṛta-mantraś ca rājā bhavitum arhati | vṛjinaṃ ca narendrāṇāṃ nānyac cārakṣaṇāt param ||
Bhishma said: He alone is fit to be a king who is learned in the three Vedas and who keeps his counsel well concealed. For rulers, there is no wrongdoing greater than failing to protect their subjects.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s foremost dharma is protection: neglecting the safety and welfare of the people is the gravest fault for a king. Alongside this, a king should be Veda-trained and prudent, keeping counsel confidential.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on the qualifications and duties of kingship, emphasizing Vedic grounding, discretion in policy, and the supreme obligation to protect the subjects.