Shloka 6
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
सतां संग्रहणं शौर्य दाक्ष्यं सत्यं प्रजाहितम् अनार्जवैराज॑विश्व शत्रुपक्षस्थ भेदनम्
satāṁ saṅgrahaṇaṁ śauryaṁ dākṣyaṁ satyaṁ prajāhitaṁ | anārjavair api viśvaśatru-pakṣastha-bhedanam, yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, the safeguarding of a kingdom rests on such means as these: gathering and honoring the good; valor; practical competence; truthfulness; constant concern for the people’s welfare; and—when necessary—even by employing non-straightforward stratagems, creating divisions within the enemy’s camp. These are among the instruments by which a ruler preserves order, protects the realm, and secures the common good.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king protects the realm by combining moral foundations—supporting the virtuous, truthfulness, and prioritizing public welfare—with practical capacities like courage and administrative skill; and, in hostile contexts, by using strategic measures (even indirect ones) to weaken the enemy’s cohesion.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the concrete means of maintaining and defending a stable kingdom, listing key virtues and tactics expected of a ruler.