Shloka 113
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
तयो: प्रीतो ददौ राजा पृथुर्वैन्य: प्रतापवान् | अनूपदेशं सूताय मगधं मागधाय च
tayoḥ prīto dadau rājā pṛthur vainyaḥ pratāpavān | anūpadeśaṃ sūtāya magadhaṃ māgadhāya ca ||
Bhīṣma dit : Satisfait de tous deux, le roi Pṛthu Vainya, puissant par sa vaillance, accorda des récompenses : il donna au Sūta la région côtière d’Anūpa, et au Māgadha la terre de Magadha. Cet épisode met en lumière le dharma du souverain : reconnaître le service rendu et attribuer les territoires de manière à stabiliser les fonctions sociales et l’ordre politique.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous king sustains order by acknowledging merit and service through appropriate rewards. Patronage is not mere generosity; it is a tool of governance that assigns responsibility, reinforces social functions (such as heralds/bards), and promotes stability.
Prithu, pleased with two professional figures—the Sūta and the Māgadha—grants them territorial rewards: the Anūpa region to the Sūta and Magadha to the Māgadha, formalizing their status and securing loyalty within his realm.