Shloka 23
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
यद्यप्यस्य विपत्ति: स्याद् रक्षमाणस्य वै प्रजा: । सो<प्यस्य विपुलो धर्म एवंवृत्ता हि भूमिपा:
yady apy asya vipattiḥ syād rakṣamāṇasya vai prajāḥ | so 'py asya vipulo dharma evaṁvṛttā hi bhūmipāḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: Sekalipun malapetaka menimpa seorang raja ketika ia melindungi rakyatnya—bahkan bila nyawanya melayang—itu tetap menjadi dharma yang agung baginya. Demikianlah seharusnya laku dan disiplin para penguasa: menjaga rakyat meski harus menebusnya dengan hidup sendiri.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s foremost dharma is the protection of the people; even if that duty brings personal loss or death, the act remains a ‘great dharma’ because kingship is defined by self-sacrificing guardianship.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about ideal royal conduct, emphasizing that true kings act as protectors of the subjects even under extreme danger.