Shloka 8
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
अन्नित्रेता त्रयी विद्या यज्ञाश्न॒ सहदक्षिणा: । सर्व एव प्रमाद्यन्ति यदा राजा प्रमाद्यति,जब राजा प्रमादी हो जाता है, तब गार्हपत्य, आहवनीय और दक्षिणाग्नि--ये तीन अग्नि; ऋक्, साम और यजु--ये तीन वेद एवं दक्षिणाओंके साथ सम्पूर्ण यज्ञ भी विकृत हो जाते हैं
agnitrayā trayī vidyā yajñāś ca sahadakṣiṇāḥ | sarva eva pramādyante yadā rājā pramādyati ||
Utathya said: “When the king becomes negligent, everything falls into negligence: the three sacred fires, the threefold Vedic learning, and the sacrifices together with their priestly fees all become disordered. For the ruler’s carelessness spreads through the realm, weakening ritual order and, with it, the foundations of dharma.”
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ruler’s vigilance is the keystone of dharma: when the king becomes careless, institutional and sacred order collapses—ritual practice, Vedic learning, and the proper functioning of sacrifices all deteriorate.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, the sage Utathya warns that royal negligence has cascading effects across society, symbolized by the disruption of the three fires, the three Vedas, and sacrifices with their prescribed gifts.