Shloka 26
अध्याय ७२ — राजधर्मः: प्रजारक्षण, कर-नीति, दण्ड-नीति, अमात्य-नियोजन
Chapter 72 — Royal Duty: protection of subjects, taxation, punishment, and appointments
एष एव परो धर्मो यद् राजा रक्षति प्रजा: । भूतानां हि यथा धर्मो रक्षणं परमा दया,राजा जो प्रजाकी रक्षा करता है, यही उसका सबसे बड़ा धर्म है। समस्त प्राणियोंकी रक्षा तथा उनके प्रति परम दया ही महान् धर्म है
eṣa eva paro dharmo yad rājā rakṣati prajāḥ | bhūtānāṃ hi yathā dharmo rakṣaṇaṃ paramā dayā ||
Bhishma declara que el deber más alto de un rey es precisamente éste: proteger a sus súbditos. Para todos los seres vivos, el dharma más verdadero es la protección misma: una compasión suprema y activa que resguarda la vida y el bienestar.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines the king’s highest dharma as protecting the people; more broadly, it presents protection of living beings as the essence of dharma and the highest form of compassion.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and ethics, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on rājadharma, emphasizing that legitimate rule is grounded in safeguarding subjects and practicing compassionate protection.