Shloka 10
Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order
Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue
साध्या देवा वसवश्षाश्रिनौ च रुद्राक्ष विश्वे मरुतां गणाश्न । सृष्टा: पुरा ह्यादिदेवेन देवा: क्षात्रे धर्मे वर्तयन्ते च सिद्धा:,साध्यदेव, वसुगण, अश्विनीकुमार, रुद्रगण, विश्वेदेवगण और मरुद्गण--ये देवता और सिद्धगण पूर्वकालमें आदिदेव भगवान् विष्णुके द्वारा रचे गये हैं, जो क्षात्रधर्ममें ही स्थित रहते हैं
sādhyā devā vasavaś cāśvinau ca rudrāś ca viśve marutāṁ gaṇāś ca | sṛṣṭāḥ purā hy ādidevena devāḥ kṣātre dharme vartayante ca siddhāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : Les Sādhyas, les Vasus, les deux Aśvins, les Rudras, les Viśvedevas et les cohortes des Maruts—ces dieux, avec les Siddhas (êtres accomplis), furent créés jadis par la Divinité Primordiale. Établis dans l’excellence qui leur est impartie, ils se meuvent et agissent selon le kṣātra-dharma, le dharma de la protection et de la force juste, maintenant l’ordre cosmique par une puissance disciplinée plutôt que par le désir personnel.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames kṣātra-dharma (the disciplined use of power for protection and order) as a divinely instituted mode of action: even celestial beings are said to operate within this protective, force-regulating dharma, implying that rightful strength is ethical when aligned with cosmic purpose rather than personal impulse.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma lists major classes of gods and Siddhas and states that they were created by the Primeval Deity and remain established in kṣātra-dharma—supporting his broader counsel to rulers about the sacred foundations of governance, protection, and the regulated use of force.