Shloka 31
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
नाक़ुष्टं सहते कश्चित् कुतो वा हस्तलाघवम् | यदि राजा न सम्यग ् गां रक्षयत्यपि धार्मिक:,यदि धर्मात्मा राजा भलीभाँति पृथ्वीकी रक्षा न करे तो कोई भी मनुष्य गाली-गलौज अथवा हाथसे पीटे जानेका अपमान कैसे सहन करे
nākruṣṭaṃ sahate kaścit kuto vā hastalāghavam | yadi rājā na samyag gāṃ rakṣayaty api dhārmikaḥ ||
Vasumanā said: “No one can endure being abused; how much less can one endure being struck. Even if a king is personally righteous, if he does not properly protect the earth (his people and realm), how could any person be expected to bear the humiliation of insults or blows?”
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s personal piety is insufficient if he fails in his primary duty of protection. When governance does not secure people from insult and violence, ordinary persons cannot be expected to patiently endure humiliation; thus protection and justice are central to rājadharma.
In the Shānti Parva’s discussion on rājadharma, Vasumanā argues that social peace depends on effective royal protection. He stresses that unchecked abuse and physical aggression arise when the ruler does not properly safeguard the realm, even if the ruler is otherwise ‘dhārmika’.