Shloka 5
Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)
असंशयं निवर्तेत न चेद् वक्ष्यत्यतः परम् । पूर्व परोक्ष॑ं कर्तव्यमेतत् कौन्तेय शाश्वतम्
asaṁśayaṁ nivarteta na ced vakṣyaty ataḥ param | pūrva-parokṣaṁ kartavyam etat kaunteya śāśvatam ||
भीष्म ने कहा—“निःसंदेह वह लौट आएगा। यदि इतना कहने पर भी वह आगे कुछ न बोले, तो राजा को इस प्रकार कहना चाहिए—‘भगवन्! मेरे द्वारा पहले जो अपराध हुए हों, उन्हें आप क्षमा करें।’ हे कुन्तीनन्दन! विनय और आदर से ब्राह्मण को प्रसन्न करना राजा का सनातन कर्तव्य है।”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must uphold rajadharma by using humility and conciliatory speech—especially toward brahmins—asking forgiveness for prior faults and seeking to restore goodwill; this is presented as a timeless duty.
Bhishma instructs Kaunteya (Yudhishthira) on how a king should respond when dealing with a brahmin who remains silent or displeased: first expect him to relent, but if he does not speak, the king should explicitly request pardon for earlier offences and thereby pacify him.