Shloka 3
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
अराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु धर्मो न व्यवतिष्ठते । परस्परं च खादन्ति सर्वथा धिगराजकम्,जिन देशोंमें कोई राजा नहीं होता, वहाँ धर्मकी भी स्थिति नहीं रहती है; अतः वहाँके लोग एक-दूसरेको हड़पने लगते हैं; इसलिये जहाँ अराजकता हो, उस देशको सर्वथा धिक््कार है!
arājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu dharmo na vyavatiṣṭhate | parasparaṃ ca khādanti sarvathā dhig arājakam ||
Bhishma said: “In kingdoms where there is no king, dharma does not remain established. People then prey upon one another; therefore, a land sunk in anarchy is to be condemned in every way.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma and social stability depend on legitimate governance; without a ruler and enforcement of order, society collapses into mutual predation, so anarchy is ethically blameworthy.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and rajadharma, Bhishma warns Yudhishthira that a kingless realm cannot sustain dharma and inevitably descends into violence and exploitation.