Shloka 6.125.9
पुष्पकारोहणम् (Boarding the Puṣpaka; Honoring the Allies and Departure for Ayodhyā)
हीनंरतिगुणैस्सर्वैरभिहन्तारमाहवे । सेनात्यजतिसम्विग्नानृपतिंतंनरेश्वरा ।।6.125.9।।
hīnaṃ ratiguṇaiḥ sarvair abhihantāram āhave | senā tyajati saṃvignā nṛpatiṃ taṃ nareśvara || 6.125.9 ||
O lord of men, an army—alarmed and unsettled—abandons that king who is deficient in all the qualities that win loyalty and goodwill, and who becomes a mere slayer in battle rather than a protector.
"O Ruler of men, all the army will desert a king who is devoid of virtues, lowly and who is a destructor in the battlefield."
A ruler must possess virtues that inspire trust and affection; if he is merely violent or lacks endearing and stabilizing qualities, even his own army becomes fearful and deserts him. Power without dharmic character cannot sustain loyalty.
In the concluding moral reflection of the war’s outcome, the text articulates a principle of rājadharma: the stability of a kingdom and the fidelity of troops depend on the king’s virtues, not only on battlefield force.