Shloka 52
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
अनीतिजं यस्य विधानजं सुखं हठप्रणीतं विधिवत्प्रदृश्यते । न विद्यते तस्य गतिर्महीपते- न विद्यते राज्यसुखं हानुत्तमम्
anītijaṁ yasya vidhānajaṁ sukhaṁ haṭhapraṇītaṁ vidhivatpradṛśyate | na vidyate tasya gatir mahīpate na vidyate rājyasukhaṁ hy anuttamam ||
भीष्म बोले—हे महीपते! जिसका सुख अन्याय से उपार्जित, हठ और बल से प्राप्त हो, वह दैवविधान से मानो विधिपूर्वक मिला हुआ-सा प्रतीत भी हो; पर जो राजा राजधर्म को यथार्थ नहीं जानता, उसकी कहीं सद्गति नहीं होती, और उसका वह परम उत्तम-सा राज्यसुख भी स्थिर नहीं रहता।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Happiness gained through injustice and coercion may temporarily look legitimate due to circumstances, but it has no stable foundation in dharma; such a ruler has no auspicious destiny, and his royal enjoyment cannot last.
In the Shanti Parva discourse on raja-dharma, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira about the moral responsibilities of kingship, warning that power and pleasure obtained by adharma—even if it seems sanctioned by fate—lead to ruin and instability.