Shloka 16
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
राजा चेन्न भवेल्लोके पृथिव्यां दण्डधारक: । जले मत्स्यानिवाभक्ष्यन् दुर्बलं बलवत्तरा:
rājā cen na bhavel loke pṛthivyāṃ daṇḍadhārakaḥ | jale matsyān ivābhakṣyan durbalaṃ balavattarāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : Si, en ce monde, sur la terre, il n’y avait pas de roi pour brandir le bâton du châtiment, alors, comme dans l’eau les gros poissons dévorent les petits, les forts s’acharneraient sur les faibles et les dépouilleraient.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Without a lawful ruler who wields daṇḍa (punitive authority), society collapses into ‘matsya-nyāya’—the rule where the strong consume the weak. Just punishment is presented as a dharmic necessity to restrain exploitation and protect the vulnerable.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma explains to the listener that kingship is not merely privilege but a protective duty: the king must enforce law so that the strong do not oppress the weak, illustrated through the image of bigger fish devouring smaller fish.