Shloka 16
Kṣātra-dharma in Campaign and Battle: Protection, Purification, and the Ideal Warrior’s End (क्षात्रधर्मः—अभियानयुद्धे रक्षणदानशुद्धिः)
यदि शूरस्तथा क्षेम॑ प्रतिरक्षेद् यथाभये । प्रतिरूपं जन॑ कुर्यान्न चेत् तद्धर्तते तथा
yadi śūras tathā kṣemaṃ pratirakṣed yathābhaye | pratirūpaṃ janaṃ kuryān na cet tad dhartate tathā ||
Bhishma said: “If a brave man can protect the realm’s security in the same way he would act in a time of danger, then he should appoint a fitting person (to that charge). If he does not do so, that security cannot be maintained in the proper manner.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler or protector must ensure public welfare not only in crises but also in peaceful times; if he cannot personally sustain that vigilance, he must appoint a competent and suitable person, otherwise welfare and security will not be properly maintained.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical ethics of rule: continuous protection of the realm requires steady oversight and, when necessary, delegation to qualified individuals.