Shloka 23
Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas
Kekaya Exemplum
मेरे राज्यमें कोई भी ब्रह्मचर्यका पालन न करनेवाला भिक्षा नहीं माँगता अथवा भिक्षु या संन्यासी ब्रह्मचर्यका पालन किये बिना नहीं रहता। बिना ऋत्विजके मेरे यहाँ होम नहीं होता; फिर तुम कैसे मेरे भीतर घुस आये? ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
kṛtaṃ rājyaṃ mayā sarvaṃ rājya-sthenāpi kāryavat |
nāhaṃ vyutkramitaḥ satyān māmaka-antaram āviśaḥ ||
nāvajānāmy ahaṃ vaidyān na vṛddhān na tapāsvinaḥ |
rāṣṭraṃ svapati jāgarmi māmaka-antaram āviśaḥ ||
Bhishma dit : «Bien que je sois assis sur le trône royal, j’ai accompli tous les devoirs du gouvernement comme il convient. Je ne me suis jamais écarté de la vérité — comment donc as-tu pénétré jusqu’au plus intime de mon être ? Je ne méprise ni les médecins, ni les anciens, ni les ascètes. Quand tout le royaume dort, je veille pour le protéger ; et pourtant, comment as-tu trouvé passage en moi ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s legitimacy rests on unwavering truthfulness, dutiful governance, and respectful conduct toward the learned, elders, and ascetics; even then, one must examine how inner fault or suffering can still arise, prompting deeper self-inquiry into subtle lapses and unseen causes.
Bhishma speaks in the Shanti Parva context of moral instruction, asserting his disciplined performance of royal duties and his respect for virtuous persons. He expresses astonishment that some inner affliction or moral ‘intruder’ has entered him despite his vigilance, framing a reflective challenge about hidden vulnerabilities even in a conscientious life.