Shloka 26
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
काले धुरि च युक्तानां वहतां भारमाहितम् । सीदतामपि कौन्तेय न कीर्तिरवसीदति
kāle dhuri ca yuktānāṁ vahatāṁ bhāram āhitam | sīdatām api kaunteya na kīrtir avasīdati ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Oh hijo de Kuntī, cuando los hombres son debidamente designados, en el momento oportuno, para tomar el yugo y cargar el peso que se les impone, pueden, en verdad, fatigarse bajo esa carga; pero su fama no decae. La perseverancia en la responsabilidad justa hace que el renombre sea duradero y no perecedero.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Rightly undertaken responsibility may cause hardship, but steadfastly bearing it preserves and increases one’s kīrti (enduring fame). Dharma-based effort yields lasting moral reputation even when the work is heavy.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance. Here he uses the image of being yoked to a burden to counsel that rulers and responsible persons should not shrink from assigned duties, because such endurance secures lasting renown.