Shloka 5
राजधर्मः, दण्डनीतिः, कर्तृत्व-विचारः च
Royal Duty, Lawful Discipline, and the Question of Agency
यः स्वयं प्रतिहन्ति सम शासन विषये रत: । स बाहुभ्यां विनिग्राह्मो लोकयात्राविधातक:
yaḥ svayaṁ pratihanti samaśāsana-viṣaye rataḥ | sa bāhubhyāṁ vinigrāhyo loka-yātrā-vidhātakaḥ ||
Vyāsa dit : « Celui qui, attaché aux jouissances et aux affaires du monde, transgresse de son propre gré la loi de retenue et la discipline du gouvernement, devient un perturbateur de l’ordre social. Un tel traître au dharma doit être contenu et soumis par le kṣatriya, par la force de ses bras, afin que soient préservés l’ordre public et la conduite juste. »
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One who knowingly violates the discipline and law that sustain society becomes a threat to public order; it is the Kṣatriya’s duty, using legitimate force, to restrain such a person to protect dharma and social stability.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of governance and dharma, Vyāsa states a principle of rājadharma: when someone undermines lawful restraint and thereby harms the social order, the ruler/warrior class must curb him to maintain the proper functioning of society.