Shloka 57
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
यथाशीला हि राजान: सर्वान् विषयवासिन: । श्रेयसा योजयत्याशु श्रेयसि प्रत्युपस्थिते
yathāśīlā hi rājānaḥ sarvān viṣayavāsinaḥ | śreyasā yojayaty āśu śreyasi pratyupasthite ||
Dijo Nārada: “Tal como es el carácter del rey, así llegan a ser todos los que habitan en su reino. Y cuando se presenta una ocasión para el bien más alto, él une con presteza a todo el pueblo a ese bien, haciéndolo partícipe de bienestar y elevación.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ruler’s personal character directly molds the moral and behavioral tone of society; therefore a king who recognizes and embraces śreyas (the higher good) can quickly elevate the whole community by aligning them with that good.
Nārada is instructing about rāja-dharma in the Śānti Parva, emphasizing the king as a moral exemplar whose virtues or faults spread through the realm, and whose timely pursuit of welfare can bring collective uplift.