Shloka 19
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
यः परस्वमथादद्यात् त्याज्या नस्तादृशा इति । विश्वासार्थ च सर्वेषां वर्णानामविशेषत: । तास्तथा समयं कृत्वा समयेनावतस्थिरे
yaḥ parasvam athādadyāt tyājyā nas tādṛśā iti | viśvāsārthaṃ ca sarveṣāṃ varṇānām aviśeṣataḥ | tās tathā samayaṃ kṛtvā samayenāvatasthire
Bhīṣma dit : « Quiconque s’empare du bien d’autrui doit être banni : un tel homme ne doit pas demeurer parmi nous. » Et, afin d’établir la confiance entre tous les ordres sociaux sans distinction, ils conclurent cet accord ; l’ayant conclu, ils s’y tinrent avec fermeté, fidèles au pacte.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Stealing or appropriating another’s property is a grave breach of dharma warranting social rejection, and stable society depends on impartial, shared rules that build trust across all varṇas.
Bhishma describes a community norm: they declare that anyone who takes another’s property is to be expelled, and they formalize this as a common agreement binding on everyone, which they then faithfully uphold.