Shloka 21
इन्द्र उवाच असैनिका धर्मपराश्ष धर्मे परां गति न नयन्ते हायुक्तम् क्षात्रो धर्मो ह्यादिदेवात् प्रवृत्तः पश्चादन्ये शेषभूताश्च धर्मा:
indra uvāca | asainikā dharmaparāś ca dharme parāṃ gatiṃ na nayanti hy ayuktam | kṣātro dharmo hy ādidevāt pravṛttaḥ paścād anye śeṣabhūtāś ca dharmāḥ ||
Indra said: “O king, it is not proper to think that rulers who lack an army can, even if devoted to righteousness, easily lead others to the highest goal through dharma. For royal duty (kṣātra-dharma) first arose from the Primordial Deity; all other duties are its limbs and appeared afterward.”
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Indra teaches that personal piety alone is insufficient for a king’s public responsibility: without the power to protect (symbolized by an army), a ruler cannot reliably guide or secure others’ welfare and highest good. Rajadharma—protective governance—is presented as foundational, with other dharmas functioning as its dependent limbs.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Indra addresses a king and argues for the primacy of royal duty. He frames kingship as divinely instituted and emphasizes that effective protection and enforcement are necessary for dharma to flourish among the people.