Shloka 45
सहस्राक्षेण राजा हि सर्वथैवोपमीयते । स पश्यति च यं धर्म स धर्म: पुरुषर्षभ,पुरुषप्रवर! राजाकी उपमा सब प्रकारसे हजार नेत्रोंवाले इन्द्रसे दी जाती है; अतः राजा जिस धर्मको भलीभाँति समझकर निश्चित कर देता है वही श्रेष्ठ धर्म माना गया है
sahasrākṣeṇa rājā hi sarvathaivopamīyate | sa paśyati ca yaṃ dharmaṃ sa dharmaḥ puruṣarṣabha |
Utathya said: “A king is, in every respect, compared to the thousand‑eyed Indra. Therefore, O best of men, whatever course of dharma the king clearly perceives, understands, and decisively establishes—this is regarded as the foremost dharma.”
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the king’s exceptional authority and responsibility in discerning and establishing dharma: because the king is likened to Indra—vigilant and far‑seeing—his well‑considered determination of what is righteous becomes the guiding standard for society.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and governance, the sage Utathya addresses a listener with an honorific (“best of men”) and explains a principle of political ethics: the ruler’s discernment and decision shape the operative dharma for the realm.