Shloka 6
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
सतां संग्रहणं शौर्य दाक्ष्यं सत्यं प्रजाहितम् अनार्जवैराज॑विश्व शत्रुपक्षस्थ भेदनम्
satāṁ saṅgrahaṇaṁ śauryaṁ dākṣyaṁ satyaṁ prajāhitaṁ | anārjavair api viśvaśatru-pakṣastha-bhedanam, yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, la sauvegarde d’un royaume repose sur des moyens tels que ceux-ci : rassembler et honorer les hommes de bien ; la vaillance ; l’aptitude aux affaires ; la véracité ; le souci constant du bien-être du peuple ; et—lorsque la nécessité l’exige—même en recourant à des stratagèmes non entièrement droits, susciter des divisions dans le camp ennemi. Tels sont, entre autres, les instruments par lesquels un souverain maintient l’ordre, protège le pays et assure le bien commun.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king protects the realm by combining moral foundations—supporting the virtuous, truthfulness, and prioritizing public welfare—with practical capacities like courage and administrative skill; and, in hostile contexts, by using strategic measures (even indirect ones) to weaken the enemy’s cohesion.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the concrete means of maintaining and defending a stable kingdom, listing key virtues and tactics expected of a ruler.