Shloka 37
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
धृष्ट शूरं प्रहर्तारिमनृशंसं जितेन्द्रियम् । वत्सलं संविभक्तारमुपजीवन्ति तं नरा:
dhṛṣṭaśūraṁ prahartāram anṛśaṁsaṁ jitendriyam | vatsalaṁ saṁvibhaktāram upajīvanti taṁ narāḥ ||
जो राजा निर्भय, शूरवीर, आक्रमणकारियों का दमन करने में निपुण, फिर भी करुणाशील; जितेन्द्रिय, प्रजावत्सल और उदार दानी होता है—मनुष्य उसी का आश्रय लेकर जीवन-निर्वाह करते हैं।
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
An ideal king sustains society by combining fearlessness and the capacity to punish with compassion, self-mastery, parental care for subjects, and generous distribution of resources; people naturally depend on such a ruler for security and livelihood.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma describes the traits of a worthy ruler, explaining why subjects ‘live by’ taking refuge in a king who protects firmly yet remains humane and disciplined.