Shloka 5
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
नाराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु वस्तव्यमिति रोचये । नाराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु हव्यमग्निर्वहत्युत
bhīṣma uvāca |
nārājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu vastavyam iti rocaye |
nārājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu havyam agnir vahaty uta ||
Bhishma dit : «Selon mon jugement, il ne faut pas choisir de vivre dans les royaumes sans roi. Dans un pays sans souverain, même l’oblation sacrée offerte n’est pas portée par Agni.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes that legitimate kingship is essential for dharma and social stability: without a ruler, order collapses so deeply that even Vedic ritual is portrayed as ineffective—Agni will not ‘carry’ the offering—signaling a breakdown of both civic and sacred life.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and rajadharma, Bhishma advises the listener that living in a kingless realm is undesirable. He underscores the point with a ritual image: in the absence of a king, even sacrificial offerings fail to reach their intended divine recipients.