Shloka 36
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
यदा शारणिकानू् राजा पुत्रवत् परिरक्षति । भिनत्ति च न मर्यादां स राज्ञो धर्म उच्यते,जब राजा व्यापारियोंकी पुत्रके समान रक्षा करता है और धर्मकी मर्यादाको भंग नहीं करता, तब वह भी राजाका धर्म कहलाता है
yadā śāraṇikān rājā putravat parirakṣati | bhinatti ca na maryādāṃ sa rājño dharma ucyate ||
Utathya dit : «Lorsque le roi protège ceux qui cherchent asile comme il protégerait ses propres fils, et qu’il ne transgresse pas les bornes établies de la droiture et de l’ordre légal, cette conduite est proclamée le dharma du roi.»
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma is defined by two linked duties: compassionate protection of those under his care (especially the vulnerable and refuge-seekers) and strict adherence to maryādā—recognized moral and legal boundaries—so that power is exercised without arbitrariness.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Utathya articulates a criterion for righteous kingship: the ruler must guard dependents as dearly as his own children and must not transgress the limits of dharma; such conduct is praised as the true duty of a king.