Shloka 7
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
नैकशाखेन धर्मेण राज्ञो धर्मो विधीयते । दुर्बलस्य कुतः प्रज्ञा पुरस्तादनुपाहृता
naikaśākhena dharmeṇa rājño dharmo vidhīyate | durbalasya kutaḥ prajñā purastād anupāhṛtā ||
Bhishma dit : «Le dharma d’un roi ne peut être établi ni accompli comme il faut en ne s’appuyant que sur une seule branche du dharma. Chez un souverain faible, d’où pourrait naître la véritable sagesse pratique, si elle ne lui a pas été donnée d’avance par l’étude, l’entraînement et l’instruction?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma requires broad, multi-faceted understanding; partial or one-sided knowledge cannot sustain just governance. Without prior instruction and cultivation of discernment, a weak king cannot develop the wisdom needed to rule well.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and ethics, Bhishma continues advising on rajadharma, stressing that kingship demands comprehensive training and that inadequate education leads to deficient judgment in rule.