Shloka 1
Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order
Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue
अफड-णका+ - धृति, क्षमा, मनका निग्रह, चोरीका त्याग, बाहर-भीतरकी पवित्रता, इन्द्रियोंका निग्रह, सात्त्विक बुद्धि, सात््विक ज्ञान, सत्यभाषण और क्रोधका अभाव--ये दस धर्मके लक्षण हैं। चतु:षष्टितमो<5 ध्याय: राजधर्मकी श्रेष्ठताका वर्णन और इस विषयमें इन्द्ररूपधारी विष्णु और मान्धाताका संवाद भीष्म उवाच चातुराश्रम्यधर्माश्व यतिधर्माश्व पाण्डव । लोकवेदोत्तराश्रैव क्षात्रधर्मे समाहिता:,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--पाण्डुनन्दन! चारों आश्रमोंके धर्म, यतिधर्म तथा लौकिक और वैदिक उत्तृष्ट धर्म सभी क्षात्रधर्ममें प्रतिष्ठित हैं
bhīṣma uvāca | cāturāśramyadharmāś ca yatidharmāś ca pāṇḍava | lokavedottarāś caiva kṣātradharme samāhitāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “O Pandava, the duties of the four āśramas, the disciplines of renunciants (yati-dharma), and the higher norms taught by both worldly practice and the Veda—all of these are gathered together and established within kṣātra-dharma, the king’s duty.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that rajadharma (kṣātra-dharma) is not a narrow warrior code but an integrative responsibility: the king must uphold and harmonize the duties of all āśramas and the highest standards derived from both social practice (loka) and scripture (veda).
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma begins a discussion emphasizing the supremacy and comprehensiveness of royal duty, framing kingship as the support-system in which diverse religious and social obligations are consolidated.