Shloka 91
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
प्रजापते: कर्दमस्य त्वनज्री नाम वै सुतः । प्रजा रक्षयिता साधुर्दण्डनीतिविशारद:,प्रजापति कर्दमके पुत्रका नाम अनड़ था, जो कालक्रमसे प्रजाका संरक्षण करनेमें समर्थ, साधु तथा दण्डनीतिविद्यामें निपुण हुआ
prajāpateḥ kardamasya tv anajñrī nāma vai sutaḥ | prajā rakṣayitā sādhur daṇḍanīti-viśāradaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Of Prajāpati Kardama there was indeed a son named Anajñrī. In due course he became a capable protector of the people—upright in conduct and highly skilled in the science of governance and punishment (daṇḍanīti).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s legitimacy rests on protecting the people and mastering daṇḍanīti—punishment and discipline applied with righteousness—so that order is maintained without abandoning ethical conduct.
Bhishma, while instructing on duties of governance in the Śānti Parva, cites a lineage example: Kardama’s son Anajñrī is described as becoming an able guardian of the subjects and an expert in statecraft and punitive policy.