Shloka 26
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
काले धुरि च युक्तानां वहतां भारमाहितम् । सीदतामपि कौन्तेय न कीर्तिरवसीदति
kāle dhuri ca yuktānāṁ vahatāṁ bhāram āhitam | sīdatām api kaunteya na kīrtir avasīdati ||
Bhīṣma said: “O son of Kuntī, when men are duly appointed at the proper time to bear the yoke and carry the burden laid upon them, they may indeed grow weary under that weight; yet their fame does not decline. Endurance in rightful responsibility makes one’s renown enduring rather than perishable.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Rightly undertaken responsibility may cause hardship, but steadfastly bearing it preserves and increases one’s kīrti (enduring fame). Dharma-based effort yields lasting moral reputation even when the work is heavy.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance. Here he uses the image of being yoked to a burden to counsel that rulers and responsible persons should not shrink from assigned duties, because such endurance secures lasting renown.