Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
व्याधितो वा कृशो वापि तस्मिन् नाभून्नर: क्वचित् । उनके राज्यमें कहीं कोई भी कृपण, दुर्गतिग्रस्त, रोगी अथवा दुर्बल मनुष्य नहीं दृष्टिगोचर होता था
vyādhito vā kṛśo vāpi tasmin nābhūn naraḥ kvacit |
Dijo Bhīṣma: En aquel reino no se hallaba en parte alguna a nadie afligido por enfermedad ni consumido por la debilidad; tampoco se veía a ningún avaro, desvalido o sufriente. La frase presenta un ideal de realeza en el que el gobierno se mide por la ausencia visible de pobreza, abandono y miseria evitable entre el pueblo.
भीष्म उवाच
A ruler’s dharma is validated by public welfare: when governance is righteous and attentive, society shows fewer signs of destitution, neglect, and preventable suffering—no one is left visibly sick, weakened, or ruined by misfortune.
Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma, describes the condition of an exemplary realm: it is so well-ordered that one does not see people who are diseased, emaciated, or crushed by hardship, implying effective protection and provision by the king.