Shloka 12
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
ब्रह्मस्वे रक्ष्यमाणे तु सर्व भवति रक्षितम् । तस्मात् तेषां प्रसादेन कृतकृत्यो भवेन्नूप:
brahmasve rakṣyamāṇe tu sarvaṁ bhavati rakṣitam | tasmāt teṣāṁ prasādena kṛtakṛtyo bhaven nṛpaḥ ||
Bhishma dijo: «Cuando se protegen la riqueza y los intereses de los brahmanes, todo el reino queda protegido. Por ello, gracias a su benevolente favor, el rey se convierte en quien ha cumplido su deber y alcanzado sus fines legítimos.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s comprehensive security and success in dharma is grounded in safeguarding the Brahmins’ welfare and rightful property; their goodwill is presented as a key source of legitimacy, stability, and the king’s sense of having fulfilled his obligations.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the king (Yudhishthira in context) that protecting Brahmin interests functions as a protective umbrella for the entire kingdom, and that the king’s aims are fulfilled through their favorable disposition.