Shloka 18
Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment
Chapter 86
बलात्कृतानां बलिभि: कृपणं बहु जल्पताम् | नाथो वै भूमिपो नित्यमनाथानां नृणां भवेत्
balātkṛtānāṁ balibhiḥ kṛpaṇaṁ bahu jalpatām | nātho vai bhūmipo nityam anāthānāṁ nṛṇāṁ bhavet ||
Bhishma said: “Those who have been wronged by the powerful lament pitifully and speak at length. Therefore a king should always be a true protector—ever the refuge of people who have no other support.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches rajadharma: a king’s constant duty is to serve as a reliable refuge for the unprotected, restraining the strong from coercing the weak and preventing society from descending into helpless lamentation.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on the responsibilities of kingship, emphasizing that the ruler must actively protect those who lack power or patrons.