Shloka 11
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
एतयोपमया वीर संनमेत बलीयसे । इन्द्राय स प्रणमते नमते यो बलीयसे
etayopamayā vīra saṃnameta balīyase | indrāya sa praṇamate namate yo balīyase ||
Bhishma dit : «Ô héros, gardant cette comparaison à l’esprit, le plus faible doit s’incliner devant le plus fort. Car celui qui rend hommage au puissant, c’est, pour ainsi dire, à Indra lui-même qu’il rend hommage.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches pragmatic and ethical humility: recognizing superior strength or authority and offering respectful submission, framed as reverence to the principle of sovereignty symbolized by Indra.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the listener on norms of conduct and statecraft; here he uses an analogy to advise that the weaker should respectfully bow to the stronger, equating such reverence with honoring Indra.