Shloka 13
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
पालनात् सर्वभूतानां स्वराष्ट्रपरिपालनात् । दीक्षा बहुविधा राजन् सत्याश्रमपदं भवेत्
pālanāt sarvabhūtānāṁ svarāṣṭraparipālanāt | dīkṣā bahuvidhā rājan satyāśramapadaṁ bhavet ||
भीष्म बोले—राजन्! समस्त प्राणियों का पालन करने से और अपने राष्ट्र की रक्षा करने से राजा को अनेक प्रकार की यज्ञ-दीक्षाओं के तुल्य पुण्य मिलता है; ऐसे धर्मयुक्त शासन से उसे सत्य-आश्रम का, अर्थात् संन्यास-सदृश फल प्राप्त होता है।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s primary dharma is protection—of all beings and of the realm. When governance is exercised as selfless guardianship, its merit equals that of many sacrificial consecrations and can yield a spiritual fruit comparable to renunciation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma addresses the king and explains that righteous rule—especially protection and maintenance of order—functions as a high religious discipline, granting merit traditionally associated with ritual vows and even the renunciant ideal.