Shloka 42
अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः
Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal
तद्राज्ये राज्यकामानां नान्यो धर्म: सनातन: । ऋते रक्षां तु विस्पष्टां रक्षा लोकस्य धारिणी,राज्य चाहनेवाले राजाओंके लिये राज्यमें प्रजाओंकी भलीभाँति रक्षाको छोड़कर और कोई सनातन धर्म नहीं है, रक्षा ही जगत्को धारण करनेवाली है
tad rājye rājyakāmānāṁ nānyo dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | ṛte rakṣāṁ tu vispaṣṭāṁ rakṣā lokasya dhāriṇī ||
Bhishma said: For kings who desire and hold sovereignty, within their realm there is no other eternal duty than the clear and effective protection of their subjects. Protection alone upholds the world; by safeguarding the people, a king sustains order, justice, and the very stability of society.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s foremost and perennial dharma is the protection of the people; effective safeguarding is presented as the foundation that sustains society and the world’s order.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira that rulership is justified and sanctified primarily through the ruler’s duty to protect subjects, making security and welfare the king’s central obligation.