Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 1536
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
व्याधितो वा कृशो वापि तस्मिन् नाभून्नर: क्वचित् । उनके राज्यमें कहीं कोई भी कृपण, दुर्गतिग्रस्त, रोगी अथवा दुर्बल मनुष्य नहीं दृष्टिगोचर होता था
vyādhito vā kṛśo vāpi tasmin nābhūn naraḥ kvacit |
Bhīṣma dit : Dans ce royaume, on ne trouvait nulle part d’homme accablé par la maladie ni amaigri par la faiblesse ; on n’y voyait aucun avare, aucun indigent, aucun être en souffrance. L’énoncé présente un idéal de royauté où l’on mesure le gouvernement à l’absence manifeste de pauvreté, de négligence et de misère évitable parmi le peuple.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is validated by public welfare: when governance is righteous and attentive, society shows fewer signs of destitution, neglect, and preventable suffering—no one is left visibly sick, weakened, or ruined by misfortune.
Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma, describes the condition of an exemplary realm: it is so well-ordered that one does not see people who are diseased, emaciated, or crushed by hardship, implying effective protection and provision by the king.