Shloka 41
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
वने चरन्ति ये धर्ममाश्रमेषु च भारत । रक्षणात् तच्छतगुणं धर्म प्राप्रोति पार्थिव:
vane caranti ye dharmam āśrameṣu ca bhārata | rakṣaṇāt tacchata-guṇaṃ dharmaṃ prāpnoti pārthivaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “O Bharata, those who dwell and move about in the forest and in the various āśramas practice dharma according to their station. When a king protects them, he becomes entitled to a hundredfold share of that dharma—because safeguarding the righteous and their way of life is itself a supreme royal duty.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king gains immense religious merit not only by personal austerity but especially by protecting those who live by dharma—forest-dwellers, ascetics, and residents of āśramas. Protection (rakṣaṇa) is presented as a central pillar of rājadharma, yielding a ‘hundredfold’ share of the merit generated by the protected.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on the duties of kingship after the war. Here he emphasizes that the ruler’s ethical responsibility is to safeguard dharmic communities and institutions; by ensuring their security and continuity, the king partakes greatly in their spiritual merit.