Shloka 4
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
गृहस्थं हि सदा देवा: पितरोडतिथयस्तथा । भृत्याश्वैवोपजीवन्ति तान् भरस्व महीपते,पृथ्वीनाथ! देवता, पितर, अतिथि और भृत्यगण सदा गृहस्थका ही आश्रय लेकर जीवन-निर्वाह करते हैं; अतः तुम उनका भरण-पोषण करो
gṛhasthaṃ hi sadā devāḥ pitaro 'tithayas tathā | bhṛtyāś caivopajīvanti tān bharasva mahīpate pṛthvīnātha ||
Vyāsa dijo: «Oh rey, oh señor de la tierra: los dioses, los antepasados, los huéspedes, y asimismo los dependientes y los servidores, sostienen continuamente su vida apoyándose en el cabeza de familia. Por ello, debes ampararlos y mantenerlos.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the householder is the sustaining pillar of society and sacred order: through hospitality, service, and offerings, the gṛhastha supports gods (worship), ancestors (rites), guests (atithi-dharma), and dependants (care). Therefore a ruler should ensure their maintenance and protection.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Vyāsa addresses the king and emphasizes the ethical foundation of governance: recognizing the householder’s central role and commanding the king to uphold the welfare of those who rely on householders—divine, ancestral, social, and economic dependants.