Shloka 10
Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order
Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue
साध्या देवा वसवश्षाश्रिनौ च रुद्राक्ष विश्वे मरुतां गणाश्न । सृष्टा: पुरा ह्यादिदेवेन देवा: क्षात्रे धर्मे वर्तयन्ते च सिद्धा:
sādhyā devā vasavaś cāśvinau ca rudrāś ca viśve marutāṁ gaṇāś ca | sṛṣṭāḥ purā hy ādidevena devāḥ kṣātre dharme vartayante ca siddhāḥ ||
Bhishma said: The Sādhyas, the Vasus, the two Aśvins, the Rudras, the Viśvedevas, and the hosts of Maruts—these gods, together with the Siddhas (the perfected), were created in ancient times by the Primeval Deity. Established in their appointed excellence, they move and act within kṣātra-dharma, the dharma of protection and rightful force, upholding cosmic order through disciplined power rather than private desire.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames kṣātra-dharma (the disciplined use of power for protection and order) as a divinely instituted mode of action: even celestial beings are said to operate within this protective, force-regulating dharma, implying that rightful strength is ethical when aligned with cosmic purpose rather than personal impulse.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma lists major classes of gods and Siddhas and states that they were created by the Primeval Deity and remain established in kṣātra-dharma—supporting his broader counsel to rulers about the sacred foundations of governance, protection, and the regulated use of force.