Shloka 45
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
सहस्राक्षेण राजा हि सर्वथैवोपमीयते । स पश्यति च यं धर्म स धर्म: पुरुषर्षभ
sahasrākṣeṇa rājā hi sarvathaivopamīyate | sa paśyati ca yaṃ dharmaṃ sa dharmaḥ puruṣarṣabha |
Utathya dit : «Le roi, à tous égards, est comparé à Indra aux mille yeux. Ainsi, ô le meilleur des hommes, la voie du dharma que le roi perçoit clairement, comprend et établit d’un jugement ferme, celle-là est tenue pour le dharma le plus éminent.»
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the king’s exceptional authority and responsibility in discerning and establishing dharma: because the king is likened to Indra—vigilant and far‑seeing—his well‑considered determination of what is righteous becomes the guiding standard for society.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and governance, the sage Utathya addresses a listener with an honorific (“best of men”) and explains a principle of political ethics: the ruler’s discernment and decision shape the operative dharma for the realm.