Shloka 5
राजधर्मः, दण्डनीतिः, कर्तृत्व-विचारः च
Royal Duty, Lawful Discipline, and the Question of Agency
यः स्वयं प्रतिहन्ति सम शासन विषये रत: । स बाहुभ्यां विनिग्राह्मो लोकयात्राविधातक:,जो मनुष्य विषयासक्त होकर स्वयं शासन-धर्मका उल्लंघन करता है, वह लोकमर्यादाका नाश करनेवाला है। क्षत्रियको चाहिये कि अपनी दोनों भुजाओंके बलसे उस धर्मद्रोहीका दमन करे
yaḥ svayaṁ pratihanti samaśāsana-viṣaye rataḥ | sa bāhubhyāṁ vinigrāhyo loka-yātrā-vidhātakaḥ ||
Dijo Vyāsa: “Quien, apegado a los placeres y asuntos mundanos, viola por propia voluntad la ley de la contención y la disciplina del gobierno, se convierte en quien trastorna el curso ordenado de la sociedad. A tal traidor del dharma debe frenarlo y someterlo el kṣatriya con la fuerza de sus brazos, para que se preserven el orden público y la conducta recta.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One who knowingly violates the discipline and law that sustain society becomes a threat to public order; it is the Kṣatriya’s duty, using legitimate force, to restrain such a person to protect dharma and social stability.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of governance and dharma, Vyāsa states a principle of rājadharma: when someone undermines lawful restraint and thereby harms the social order, the ruler/warrior class must curb him to maintain the proper functioning of society.