Shloka 54
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
भाण्डागारायुधागारान् योधागारांश्व॒ सर्वश: । अश्वागारान् गजागारान् बलाधिकरणानि च
bhāṇḍāgārāyudhāgārān yodhāgārāṃś ca sarvaśaḥ | aśvāgārān gajāgārān balādhikaraṇāni ca, kurunandana yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhīṣma said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, delight of the Kurus, one should have storehouses, armouries, quarters for warriors, stables for horses, sheds for elephants, and the administrative bases of the army arranged in every respect. These vital installations of the kingdom should be planned with guarded discretion, so that they are not easily observed or assessed by others—thereby protecting the realm’s security and readiness.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must protect the kingdom by organizing critical military and logistical infrastructure—supplies, weapons, troops, horses, elephants, and command offices—with prudent secrecy and secure planning, so adversaries cannot easily assess or sabotage the state’s preparedness.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising King Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance. Here he lists key facilities of the realm—storehouses, armouries, barracks, stables, elephant sheds, and army offices—and urges that they be established and maintained with careful discretion for the safety of the kingdom.