Shloka 26
अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः
Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal
प्रत्यक्षा च परोक्षा च वृत्तिश्चास्य भवेत् समा | एवं कुर्वन् नरेन्द्रोडपि न खेदमिह विन्दति
pratyakṣā ca parokṣā ca vṛttiś cāsya bhavet samā | evaṁ kurvan narendro ’pi na khedam iha vindati ||
Bhishma berkata: “Baik dalam perkara yang tampak langsung maupun yang diketahui secara tidak langsung, raja harus menjaga perilaku yang sama dan adil terhadap mereka. Penguasa yang bertindak seimbang demikian tidak akan jatuh ke dalam kesusahan atau penyesalan di dunia ini.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should apply the same standard of conduct and judgment to what is directly evident and what is only indirectly known, maintaining impartiality; such evenness protects him from worldly distress.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the ruler on sound governance, emphasizing consistent, unbiased policy in both visible and non-visible (reported/inferred) matters.