Shloka 10
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
पुरगुप्तिरविश्वास: पौरसंघातभेदनम् | अरिमध्यस्थमित्राणां यथावच्चान्ववेक्षणम्
puraguptir aviśvāsaḥ paurasaṅghātabhedanam | arimadhyasthamitrāṇāṃ yathāvac cānuvīkṣaṇam, yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Yudhisthira, sarana menjaga kerajaan mencakup: mengamankan kota, tidak menaruh kepercayaan buta pada orang lain, memecah setiap persekutuan faksional di antara warga, serta mengawasi musuh, pihak netral, dan sekutu dengan tepat dan berbekal pengetahuan. Pemerintahan yang waspada dan tajam budi demikian menjaga negeri dari keruntuhan dari dalam, sekaligus menahan ancaman dari luar.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler protects the state through constant vigilance: fortify and guard the city, avoid complacent trust, prevent citizen factions from forming dangerous blocs, and continuously assess enemies, neutrals, and allies with clear-eyed scrutiny.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma counsels Yudhishthira on practical measures of rule—especially urban security and political intelligence—emphasizing prevention of internal conspiracies and careful monitoring of external relations.