Shloka 54
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
भाण्डागारायुधागारान् योधागारांश्व॒ सर्वश: । अश्वागारान् गजागारान् बलाधिकरणानि च
bhāṇḍāgārāyudhāgārān yodhāgārāṃś ca sarvaśaḥ | aśvāgārān gajāgārān balādhikaraṇāni ca, kurunandana yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, joie des Kurus, qu’on dispose en tout point des greniers, des arsenaux, des quartiers pour les guerriers, des écuries, des étables à éléphants et des bases administratives de l’armée. Ces installations vitales du royaume doivent être conçues avec une discrétion vigilante, afin qu’elles ne soient pas aisément observées ni évaluées par autrui—préservant ainsi la sûreté et l’état de préparation du pays.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must protect the kingdom by organizing critical military and logistical infrastructure—supplies, weapons, troops, horses, elephants, and command offices—with prudent secrecy and secure planning, so adversaries cannot easily assess or sabotage the state’s preparedness.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising King Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance. Here he lists key facilities of the realm—storehouses, armouries, barracks, stables, elephant sheds, and army offices—and urges that they be established and maintained with careful discretion for the safety of the kingdom.