Shloka 3
Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas
Kekaya Exemplum
विकर्मस्थाश्ष नोपेक्ष्या विप्रा राज्ञा कथठ्चन । इति राज्ञां पुरावृत्तमभिजल्पन्ति साधव:
Bhīṣma uvāca: vikarmasthāś ca noprekṣyā viprā rājñā kathaṃcana | iti rājñāṃ purāvṛttam abhijalpanti sādhavaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Un roi ne doit jamais, en aucune circonstance, fermer les yeux sur des brahmanes qui se sont adonnés à des actes contraires à la conduite qui leur convient. Les hommes de droiture déclarent que telle est la pratique ancienne, consacrée par le temps, des rois.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must not ignore Brahmins who have deviated into improper conduct; royal responsibility includes correcting even respected social groups when they stray from dharma, following established precedent.
In Bhishma’s instruction on rāja-dharma in the Śānti Parva, he states a rule of governance: the king should actively address misconduct among Brahmins, and he cites this as the traditional practice praised by the righteous.