Shloka 16
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
राज्ञोउपि क्षीयमाणस्य ब्रह्मैवाहु: परायणम् । तस्माद् ब्रह्मबलेनैव समुत्थेयं विजानता
rājño 'pi kṣīyamāṇasya brahmaivāhuḥ parāyaṇam | tasmād brahmabalenaiva samuttheyam vijānatā ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Aun para un rey cuya fuerza declina, los sabios declaran que Brahman —el sostén del orden brahmánico y del saber sagrado— es el refugio supremo. Por ello, un gobernante prudente debe buscar su restauración y progreso apoyándose en la fuerza que procede de Brahman.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When royal power declines, the king’s best support is not mere force but the moral and spiritual strength of Brahman—Vedic wisdom, dharmic counsel, and the legitimizing authority of learned Brahmins. A wise ruler should rebuild his position by aligning with dharma through such guidance.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about sustaining and restoring kingship. Here he emphasizes that a weakening king should take refuge in brahma—seeking counsel and support rooted in sacred learning and dharma—to rise again.