Shloka 23
Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)
भरतनन्दन! राजा नाभागने श्रोत्रिय और तापसके धनको छोड़कर शेष सारा राष्ट्र दक्षिणारूपमें ब्राह्मणोंको दे दिया ।। उच्चावचानि वित्तानि धर्मज्ञानां युधिष्ठिर । आसन राज्ञां पुराणानां सर्व तनन््मम रोचते,युधिष्ठिर! प्राचीन धर्मज्ञ राजाओंके पास जो नाना प्रकारके धन थे, वे सब मुझे भी अच्छे लगते हैं
bharatanandana! rājā nābhāgaḥ śrotriyasya ca tāpasasya ca dhanaṃ parityajya śeṣaṃ sarvaṃ rāṣṭraṃ dakṣiṇārūpeṇa brāhmaṇebhyo dadau. uccāvacāni vittāni dharmajñānāṃ yudhiṣṭhira; āsan rājñāṃ purāṇānāṃ sarvaṃ tan mama rocate.
Bhīṣma said: “O scion of Bharata, King Nābhāga, setting aside the wealth belonging to learned Vedic householders (śrotriya) and to ascetics (tāpasa), gave all that remained of the realm to the Brahmins as dakṣiṇā. O Yudhiṣṭhira, the ancient kings who knew dharma possessed wealth of many kinds; all those varied resources and endowments appear commendable to me.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous king should use royal resources for dharmic ends—especially supporting sacred learning and ritual—while respecting protected property: the wealth of Vedic scholars (śrotriyas) and ascetics (tāpasas) is not to be seized. Generosity is praised, but it must be bounded by ethical restraint.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira on dharma and governance, he cites King Nabhaga as an exemplar: Nabhaga gives the remaining wealth of the realm as dakṣiṇā to Brahmins, explicitly excluding what belongs to śrotriyas and ascetics. Bhishma then remarks approvingly on the diverse wealth and endowments associated with ancient dharma-knowing kings.