Shloka 26
Bhṛtya-niyoga: Role-appropriate appointment of servants and protection of the royal treasury (भृत्यनियोगः कोशरक्षणं च)
अभया गजपृष्ठस्था रथचर्याविशारदा: । इष्वस्त्रकुशला यस्य तस्येयं नृपतेर्मही
abhayā gajapṛṣṭhasthā rathacaryāviśāradāḥ | iṣvastrakuśalā yasya tasyeyaṁ nṛpater mahī ||
Dijo Bhishma: «De veras posee esta tierra aquel rey cuyos guerreros son intrépidos, capaces de combatir desde el lomo de los elefantes, expertos en las maniobras del carro de guerra y diestros en el arco y las armas.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s sovereignty is upheld by a disciplined, fearless, and well-trained military; martial competence is presented as an ethical instrument for protecting the realm and sustaining order (rajadharma).
In Bhishma’s instruction on kingship in the Shanti Parva, he describes the kind of warriors whose presence enables a ruler to hold and govern the earth—those skilled in weapons, elephant-mounted combat, and chariot tactics.