Shloka 5
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
तेषां यः क्षत्रियो वेद वस्त्राणामिव शोधनम् | शीलदोषान् विनिर्हर्तु स पिता स प्रजापति:
teṣāṁ yaḥ kṣatriyo veda vastrāṇām iva śodhanam | śīladoṣān vinirhartu sa pitā sa prajāpatiḥ ||
Parmi eux, le Kṣatriya qui sait purifier—tel le blanchisseur ôtant les taches du tissu—et retrancher les fautes de conduite, celui-là est véritablement le père du peuple et son seigneur (Prajāpati). Le vers fait de la royauté une purification morale : l’autorité n’est légitime que par la capacité du souverain à corriger les caractères et à maintenir l’ordre éthique.
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rulership is defined not merely by power or birth but by the ability to purify society morally—removing defects of character and restoring right conduct, as a washerman cleanses stained cloth.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Utathya describes the true mark of a worthy Kṣatriya-ruler: one who knows how to correct and eliminate faults in conduct among the people is the real guardian and sovereign (prajāpati) of the realm.