Shloka 9
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
भीष्म उवाच राजमूला महाबाहो योगक्षेमसुवृष्टय: । प्रजासु व्याधयश्वचैव मरणं च भयानि च,भीष्मजीने कहा--महाबाहो! प्रजाके योग, क्षेम, उत्तम वृष्टि, व्याधि, मृत्यु और भय --इन सबका मूल कारण राजा ही है
bhīṣma uvāca rājamūlā mahābāho yogakṣemasuvṛṣṭayaḥ | prajāsū vyādhayaś caiva maraṇaṃ ca bhayāni ca ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Oh, de brazos poderosos, el bienestar y la seguridad del pueblo, las lluvias oportunas y excelentes, así como la enfermedad, la muerte y los temores entre los súbditos: todo ello tiene al rey por raíz. Es decir, la conducta y el gobierno del soberano se vuelven la causa decisiva tanto del florecimiento público como del sufrimiento público.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the king is the primary causal foundation for the people’s welfare and security as well as their calamities. Good governance supports prosperity and stability; misrule becomes a root cause of fear, disease, and social decline.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and emphasizes the ruler’s sweeping responsibility: the condition of the realm—material prosperity like rainfall and public health, and also dangers like fear and death—is tied to the king’s rule.