Shloka 7
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
प्रत्युदगम्याभिपूज्य: स्यादेतदत्र सुमन्त्रितम् । न हि पापात् परतरमस्ति किज्चिदराजकात्
pratyudgamyābhipūjyaḥ syād etad atra sumantritam | na hi pāpāt parataram asti kiñcid arājakāt ||
Bhishma dit : «Qu’ils aillent à sa rencontre et l’honorent — en cette circonstance, c’est le meilleur conseil. Car il n’est point de mal plus grand que le péché de vivre sans roi (sans loi ni gouvernement).»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that the collapse of governance (arājaka—kinglessness/anarchy) is a grave evil; preserving social order may require pragmatic accommodation, even welcoming a stronger ruler, because lawlessness harms everyone.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises what weak, rulerless communities should do when confronted by a powerful king: they should go out to receive him respectfully, since continued anarchy is portrayed as worse than submission to rule.