Shloka 13
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
पालनात् सर्वभूतानां स्वराष्ट्रपरिपालनात् । दीक्षा बहुविधा राजन् सत्याश्रमपदं भवेत्
pālanāt sarvabhūtānāṁ svarāṣṭraparipālanāt | dīkṣā bahuvidhā rājan satyāśramapadaṁ bhavet ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô roi, en protégeant tous les êtres vivants et en sauvegardant son propre royaume, un souverain acquiert un mérite équivalent à celui de recevoir de multiples consécrations sacrificielles (dīkṣā). Par une telle gouvernance conforme au dharma, il obtient le fruit attaché à la “station véritable” des āśrama—comparable à la récompense du renoncement—car son pouvoir est exercé comme un dépôt confié pour le bien de tous.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s primary dharma is protection—of all beings and of the realm. When governance is exercised as selfless guardianship, its merit equals that of many sacrificial consecrations and can yield a spiritual fruit comparable to renunciation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma addresses the king and explains that righteous rule—especially protection and maintenance of order—functions as a high religious discipline, granting merit traditionally associated with ritual vows and even the renunciant ideal.