Shloka 40
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
वेदाध्ययनशीलानां विप्राणां साधुकर्मणाम् । पालने यत्नमातिष्ठ सर्वलोकस्य चैव ह,युधिष्ठिर! तुम वेदाध्ययनमें संलग्न रहनेवाले, सत्कर्मपरायण ब्राह्मणों तथा अन्य सब लोगोंके पालन-पोषणका प्रयत्न करो
vedādhyayanaśīlānāṁ viprāṇāṁ sādhukarmaṇām | pālane yatnam ātiṣṭha sarvalokasya caiva ha, yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, exert yourself in protecting and sustaining those Brahmins who are devoted to Vedic study and righteous conduct—and indeed all people as well.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must actively protect and sustain the learned and righteous—especially Brahmins devoted to Vedic study and good conduct—and extend that protective care to the entire populace; governance is defined by diligent guardianship and welfare.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and dharma, Bhīṣma counsels Yudhiṣṭhira on royal duty (rājadharma), emphasizing the ruler’s responsibility to maintain social order by supporting Vedic learning, virtuous living, and the welfare of all subjects.