Shloka 42
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
प्रवृद्धानां च वृक्षाणां शाखां प्रच्छेदयेत् तथा । चैत्यानां सर्वथा त्याज्यमपि पत्रस्य पातनम्
pravṛddhānāṃ ca vṛkṣāṇāṃ śākhāṃ pracchedayet tathā | caityānāṃ sarvathā tyājyam api patrasya pātanam ||
Bhishma dit : «Lorsque les arbres ont trop grandi et se sont étendus, on peut faire tailler leurs branches selon le besoin. Mais les arbres liés aux sanctuaires sacrés (caityas) doivent être protégés de toutes les manières : il ne faut pas même laisser tomber une seule feuille».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Practical governance must be guided by reverence: ordinary overgrown trees may be pruned for order and safety, but anything tied to a sacred site (caitya) deserves special protection—so much so that even minor harm like dropping a leaf should be avoided.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and proper conduct in rule and society. Here he gives a concrete rule about managing trees: permit necessary pruning of common trees, while strictly safeguarding shrine-associated trees.