Shloka 44
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
संकटद्वारकाणि स्युरुच्छवासार्थ पुरस्य च । तेषां च द्वारवद् गुप्ति: कार्या सर्वात्मना भवेत्
saṅkaṭa-dvārakāṇi syur ucchvāsārthaṁ purasya ca | teṣāṁ ca dvāravad guptiḥ kāryā sarvātmanā bhavet ||
Bhishma said: “In a city, narrow postern-gates should be made in the outer ramparts to allow the passage of air; and those openings, like the main gates, must be guarded with complete vigilance.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even minor openings created for comfort (like ventilation posterns) must be protected as carefully as major gates; small vulnerabilities can endanger the whole polity. In rājadharma, thoroughness and vigilance are ethical duties of governance.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises the king on practical city-fortification: build narrow openings in the outer walls for airflow, but ensure they are guarded with the same rigor as the main gates.