Shloka 48
राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)
परिहासश्च भृत्यैस्ते नात्यर्थ वदतां वर । कर्तव्यो राजशार्दूल दोषमत्र हि मे शृूणु,वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ राजसिंह! तुम्हें सेवकोंके साथ अधिक हँसी-मजाक नहीं करना चाहिये; इसमें जो दोष है, वह मुझसे सुनो
parihāsaś ca bhṛtyais te nātyarthaṁ vadatāṁ vara | kartavyo rājaśārdūla doṣam atra hi me śṛṇu ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara para penutur, wahai harimau di antara para raja, janganlah engkau berlebihan dalam senda‑gurau dan kelakar dengan para pelayanmu. Dengarkan dariku cacat yang tersembunyi dalam keakraban semacam itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should avoid excessive familiarity and joking with servants, because it can erode respect, blur boundaries of authority, and invite lapses in discipline—creating practical and ethical harm in governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on proper royal conduct. Here he cautions against overindulgent banter with attendants and signals that he will explain the specific fault that arises from it.