Shloka 29
अक्रोधनो हाृव्यसनी मृदुदण्डो जितेन्द्रिय: । राजा भवति भूतानां विश्वास्यो हिमवानिव,जिसमें क्रोधका अभाव होता है, जो दुर्व्यसनोंसे दूर रहता है, जिसका दण्ड भी कठोर नहीं होता तथा जो अपनी इन्द्रियोंपर विजय पा लेता है, वह राजा हिमालयके समान सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंका विश्वासपात्र बन जाता है
akrodhano hāryavyasanī mṛdudaṇḍo jitendriyaḥ | rājā bhavati bhūtānāṃ viśvāsyo himavān iva ||
Bhishma said: A king who is free from anger, who keeps away from ruinous vices, whose punishment is gentle rather than harsh, and who has mastered his senses becomes, like the Himalaya, a steadfast object of trust for all living beings.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that a ruler earns universal trust through inner discipline: freedom from anger, avoidance of corrupting vices, restrained and humane punishment, and mastery over the senses. Such steadiness makes the king reliable and protective, like the immovable Himalaya.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on the virtues that sustain stable rule. This verse highlights personal self-governance as the foundation for public confidence in the king.