Shloka 24
Vāmadeva’s Rājadharma: Norm-Setting, Counsel, and the Prevention of Rāṣṭra-Vināśa (वामदेव-प्रोक्तं राजधर्मम्)
रक्षाधिकरणं युद्ध तथा धर्मानुशासनम् । मन्त्रचिन्ता सुखं काले पञ्चभिर्वर्धते मही
rakṣādhikaraṇaṃ yuddhaṃ tathā dharmānuśāsanam | mantracintā sukhaṃ kāle pañcabhir vardhate mahī ||
Vāmadeva said: “A kingdom prospers through five supports: a well-ordered system of protection and security, readiness for war, governance in accordance with dharma, thoughtful deliberation on counsel and policy, and the timely provision of welfare and contentment to the people. By these five, the realm grows in strength and stability.”
वामदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s realm flourishes when five pillars are maintained together: internal security, military capability, dharma-guided administration, prudent counsel and strategic deliberation, and timely public welfare. Prosperity is presented as an ethical and administrative achievement, not merely economic gain.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, the sage Vāmadeva speaks as a teacher of statecraft, summarizing the essential functions by which a king sustains and expands the kingdom.