Shloka 24
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
कुन्तीनन्दन! बड़ी-छोटी पत्नियों, भाइयों, पुत्रों और नातियोंको भी जो राजा अपराध करनेपर दण्ड और अच्छे कार्य करनेपर अनुग्रहरूप पुरस्कार देता है, यही उसके द्वारा गा्हस्थ्य-धर्मका पालन है और यही उसकी तपस्या है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | kuntīnandana! bṛhad-aṇu-patnīṣu bhrātṛṣu putreṣu pautreṣu ca yo rājā aparādhe daṇḍaṃ dadāti satkṛtye cānugraharūpaṃ puraskāraṃ dadāti, etad eva tena gārhasthya-dharmasya pālanaṃ, etad eva ca tasya tapaḥ || sādhūnām arcanīyānāṃ pūjā suviditātmanām | pālanaṃ puruṣavyāghra gṛhāśrama-phala-pradam bhavet ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai putra Kunti, seorang raja yang—tanpa memihak—menghukum pelanggaran dan menganugerahi ganjaran atas perilaku baik, sekalipun yang terlibat adalah istri-istrinya (senior maupun junior), saudara, putra, atau cucunya sendiri, itulah penegakan dharma grihastha; ketidakberpihakan itu sendiri adalah tapanya. Lagi pula, wahai harimau di antara manusia, menghormati para sadhu yang patut dipuja—yang termasyhur sebagai para pengenal Atman—serta melindungi mereka, menjadi sumber buah kebajikan dari tahap hidup rumah tangga.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s true austerity is ethical impartiality: he must punish wrongdoing and reward virtue even when his own relatives are involved. In addition, honoring and protecting realized, virtuous sages is presented as a key source of merit aligned with the householder’s dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance. He defines the king’s duty in terms of fair application of punishment and reward, and he links royal responsibility to the broader gṛhastha ideal of supporting and safeguarding worthy sages.