Shloka 20
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
अन्ताश्चलाकाल एव स्युर्लोको<यं दस्युसाद् भवेत् । पतेयुर्नरकं घोरं यदि राजा न पालयेत्
antāś calākāla eva syur loko ’yaṃ dasyusād bhavet | pateyur narakaṃ ghoraṃ yadi rājā na pālayet ||
Vasumanā dijo: «Entonces prevalecerían la muerte prematura y la hambruna; este mundo caería bajo el dominio de los bandidos. Y si el rey no protegiera a sus súbditos, los hombres—por la propagación del pecado y la anarquía—se precipitarían a un infierno espantoso».
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches rājadharma: a ruler’s foremost duty is to protect and maintain order. Without royal protection, society collapses into famine, insecurity, and moral ruin, bringing grave consequences.
In the Śānti Parva’s discourse on kingship and ethics, Vasumanā argues that if the king fails to safeguard the people, the world becomes dominated by bandits, calamities spread, and people fall into severe suffering due to unchecked wrongdoing.