Shloka 12
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
ब्रह्मस्वे रक्ष्यमाणे तु सर्व भवति रक्षितम् । तस्मात् तेषां प्रसादेन कृतकृत्यो भवेन्नूप:
brahmasve rakṣyamāṇe tu sarvaṁ bhavati rakṣitam | tasmāt teṣāṁ prasādena kṛtakṛtyo bhaven nṛpaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “When the wealth and interests of the Brahmins are protected, everything in the realm is thereby protected. Therefore, by their gracious favor, a king becomes one who has fulfilled his duty and achieved his rightful ends.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s comprehensive security and success in dharma is grounded in safeguarding the Brahmins’ welfare and rightful property; their goodwill is presented as a key source of legitimacy, stability, and the king’s sense of having fulfilled his obligations.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the king (Yudhishthira in context) that protecting Brahmin interests functions as a protective umbrella for the entire kingdom, and that the king’s aims are fulfilled through their favorable disposition.