Shloka 22
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
राज्यं सर्वामिषं नित्यमार्जवेनेह धार्यते | तस्मान्मिश्रेण सततं वर्तितव्यं युधिष्ठिर
bhīṣma uvāca | rājyaṃ sarvāmīṣaṃ nityam ārjavenaiha dhāryate | tasmān miśreṇa satataṃ vartitavyaṃ yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhishma berkata: “Kerajaan senantiasa menjadi sasaran hasrat dan kenikmatan bagi semua; di dunia ini ia hanya dapat dipertahankan dengan kelurusan dan integritas. Karena itu, wahai Yudhishthira, seorang raja hendaknya selalu bertindak dengan campuran yang bijaksana—menggabungkan ketegasan dan hukuman dengan kelembutan serta welas asih.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that sovereignty is universally coveted and thus fragile; it is best sustained through ārjava (straightforward integrity). Yet effective rule requires a balanced, mixed policy—firmness to restrain wrongdoing and gentleness to protect and nurture subjects.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma, lying on the bed of arrows, counsels King Yudhishthira on how to preserve and administer the kingdom: rule with honest rectitude, while blending severity and compassion as circumstances demand.