Shloka 4
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
यथा बहणि चित्राणि बिभर्ति भुजगाशन: । तथा बहुविध॑ राजा रूप॑ कुर्वीत धर्मवित्
yathā bahūni citrāṇi bibharti bhujagāśanaḥ | tathā bahuvidhaṃ rājā rūpaṃ kurvīta dharmavit ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sebagaimana merak—pemangsa ular—memakai banyak warna yang beraneka, demikian pula raja yang memahami dharma hendaknya menampakkan berbagai ‘wujud’ menurut waktunya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dharma-knowing king should be adaptable: he must assume different outward roles and strategies as circumstances demand—conciliatory, firm, secretive, or generous—without abandoning righteousness. The simile of the peacock’s many colors highlights versatility guided by dharma.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma continues advising on rajadharma. Here he uses a natural image—the peacock that eats snakes and displays many colors—to counsel that a ruler should reveal different ‘forms’ at different times for effective and ethical governance.