Shloka 5
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
तेषां यः क्षत्रियो वेद वस्त्राणामिव शोधनम् | शीलदोषान् विनिर्हर्तु स पिता स प्रजापति:,इनमें जो क्षत्रिय वस्त्रोंकी मैल दूर करनेवाले धोबीके समान चरित्रदोषको दूर करना जानता है, वही प्रजावर्गका पिता और वही प्रजाका अधिपति है
teṣāṁ yaḥ kṣatriyo veda vastrāṇām iva śodhanam | śīladoṣān vinirhartu sa pitā sa prajāpatiḥ ||
Among them, that Kṣatriya who understands how to cleanse—like a washerman removing stains from cloth—how to remove faults of conduct, is truly the father of the people and their lord (Prajāpati). The verse frames kingship as moral purification: authority is justified by the ruler’s capacity to correct character and uphold ethical order.
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rulership is defined not merely by power or birth but by the ability to purify society morally—removing defects of character and restoring right conduct, as a washerman cleanses stained cloth.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Utathya describes the true mark of a worthy Kṣatriya-ruler: one who knows how to correct and eliminate faults in conduct among the people is the real guardian and sovereign (prajāpati) of the realm.