Shloka 47
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
किलेके भीतर बहुत-सा ईंधन इकट्ठा कर ले और कुएँ खुदवाये। जल पीनेकी इच्छावाले लोगोंने पहले जो कुएँ बना रखे हों, उनको भी झरवाकर शुद्ध करा दे ।।
tṛṇacchannāni veśmāni paṅkenātha pralepayet | nirhṛtya ca tṛṇaṁ māsi caitre vahnibhayāt tathā |
Bhishma said: Let the houses roofed with grass and thatch be plastered with wet clay. And when the month of Chaitra arrives, let grass and straw be removed from within the town as well, for fear of fire. (Thus should a ruler take timely measures for public safety and the prevention of calamity.)
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should practice foresight in governance: prevent predictable disasters (like seasonal fires) through practical civic measures, thereby protecting subjects and upholding rāja-dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on kingship in the Shanti Parva, he advises concrete municipal precautions—plastering thatched houses with wet clay and removing dry thatch/grass as Chaitra approaches—to reduce the risk of fire.