Shloka 6
दुर्ग-निवेश-राजधर्मः | Fortified Capital and the King’s Residential Polity
Rājadharma
यत्पुरं दुर्गसम्पन्नं धान्न्यायुधसमन्वितम् । दृढप्राकारपरिखं हस्त्यश्वरथसंकुलम्
yat puraṁ durgasampannaṁ dhānyāyudhasamanvitam | dṛḍhaprākāraparikhaṁ hasty-aśva-ratha-saṅkulam ||
Bhishma said: That city which is well provided with fortifications, furnished with stores of grain and weapons, protected by strong ramparts and moats, and crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots—such a fortified capital is being described as the basis of secure rule and responsible kingship, where preparedness safeguards the people and supports the king’s duty to protect.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the context of Rajadharma, Bhishma highlights that a ruler’s duty to protect depends on practical preparedness: secure fortifications, adequate provisions, and organized military resources. Ethical governance is not merely intention; it requires structures that prevent harm to subjects.
Bhishma is describing the features of an ideal, well-defended capital—forts, supplies, weapons, walls, moats, and war animals/vehicles—within his broader instruction to Yudhishthira in Shanti Parva on how a king should organize and safeguard the realm.