Shloka 78
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
स्वाम्ये प्रयत्नं कुर्वन्ति त्रयो वर्णा यथाविधि । तस्मादेव मनुष्याणां सुखं विद्धि समाहितम्
svāmye prayatnaṃ kurvanti trayo varṇā yathāvidhi | tasmād eva manuṣyāṇāṃ sukhaṃ viddhi samāhitam |
Bhishma said: “The three twice-born orders, in accordance with prescribed rule, exert themselves in safeguarding their own well-being and proper condition. Know, therefore, that in this very orderliness—when people remain steadily engaged in their rightful duties under effective governance—human happiness is securely established.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Happiness and social stability arise when people follow prescribed duties within their proper social roles, supported by orderly governance; such disciplined adherence makes well-being ‘firmly established’ in society.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue on kingship and social order, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira that effective rule and adherence to dharma keep society secure and functional, enabling the (three) varnas to pursue their well-being properly.