Shloka 41
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
वने चरन्ति ये धर्ममाश्रमेषु च भारत । रक्षणात् तच्छतगुणं धर्म प्राप्रोति पार्थिव:
vane caranti ye dharmam āśrameṣu ca bhārata | rakṣaṇāt tacchata-guṇaṃ dharmaṃ prāpnoti pārthivaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Bharata, ceux qui demeurent et cheminent dans la forêt et dans les divers āśramas pratiquent le dharma selon leur condition. Lorsqu’un roi les protège, il devient digne d’une part centuplée de ce dharma — car sauvegarder les justes et leur manière de vivre est, en soi, le devoir royal le plus élevé.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king gains immense religious merit not only by personal austerity but especially by protecting those who live by dharma—forest-dwellers, ascetics, and residents of āśramas. Protection (rakṣaṇa) is presented as a central pillar of rājadharma, yielding a ‘hundredfold’ share of the merit generated by the protected.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on the duties of kingship after the war. Here he emphasizes that the ruler’s ethical responsibility is to safeguard dharmic communities and institutions; by ensuring their security and continuity, the king partakes greatly in their spiritual merit.