Shloka 47
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
राजन! तुम सावधान होकर क्षमा, विवेक, धृति और बुद्धिकी शिक्षा ग्रहण करो। समस्त प्राणियोंकी शक्ति तथा भलाई-बुराईको भी सदा जाननेकी इच्छा करो ।।
rājan! tvaṃ sāvadhānaḥ kṣamāṃ vivekaṃ dhṛtiṃ ca buddhiśikṣāṃ gṛhāṇa. sarvaprāṇināṃ śaktiṃ ca hitāhitam api sadā jñātum iccha. saṃgrahaḥ—sarvabhūtānāṃ dānaṃ ca madhuraṃ vacaḥ; paurajānapadāś caiva goptavyās te yathāsukham.
Utathya dit : «Ô roi, sois vigilant et apprends les disciplines de la patience, du discernement, de la fermeté et de la juste intelligence. Désire toujours connaître la force de tous les êtres vivants, et ce qui leur est bénéfique ou nuisible. En somme : gagne tous les êtres par la générosité et la parole douce ; et protège les citadins comme les gens des campagnes, afin qu’ils vivent dans le confort.»
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should cultivate inner virtues—patience/forgiveness, discernment, steadfastness, and sound judgment—and apply them outwardly through generosity and gentle speech, while actively safeguarding the welfare of both urban and rural subjects.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, the sage Utathya addresses a king and condenses practical statecraft into a moral program: understand people’s capacities and interests, win their goodwill through benevolence, and ensure their protection and comfort.