अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः
Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal
यः सत्करोति ज्ञानानि ज्ञेये परहिते रत: । सतां वर्त्मनिगस्त्यागी स राजा राज्यमहति
yaḥ satkaroti jñānāni jñeye parahite rataḥ | satāṁ vartmanigastyāgī sa rājā rājyam arhati ||
Bhīṣma dit : Le roi qui honore le savoir et les savants, qui s’applique à comprendre ce que les Écritures déclarent digne d’être connu, et qui s’emploie au bien d’autrui — qui suit la voie des vertueux et renonce à l’intérêt égoïste —, celui-là seul est apte à gouverner un royaume.
भीष्म उवाच
A ruler becomes worthy of sovereignty by honoring knowledge and those who possess it, seeking true understanding of what should be known, working for others’ welfare, walking in the conduct of the virtuous, and renouncing selfish motives.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira the standards of good governance, defining the ethical and intellectual qualities that make a king fit to rule.