Shloka 31
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
नरव्याप्र नरेश! जो समय-समयपर सम्पत्ति और उपहार देकर समस्त प्राणियोंका सम्मान करता रहता है, वह साधु पुरुषोंके आश्रममें निवासका पुण्यफल पा लेता है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | naravyāghra nareśa! yo samaya-samaye sampattiṃ ca upahārān ca dattvā samasta-prāṇināṃ sammānaṃ karoti, sa sādhu-puruṣāṇām āśrameṣu nivāsa-puṇya-phalaṃ prāpnoti | daśa-dharma-gata-kṣā api yo dharmaṃ pratyavekṣate, sarva-lokasya kaunteya rājā bhavati so ’śramī |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai harimau di antara manusia, wahai raja—barangsiapa pada waktu yang tepat memberikan harta dan anugerah, serta senantiasa memuliakan semua makhluk hidup, ia memperoleh pahala kebajikan seperti tinggal di pertapaan para sadhu. Dan, wahai putra Kunti, sekalipun seorang raja teguh dalam sepuluh dharma yang diajarkan Manu, bila ia menaruh pandangannya pada dharma seluruh dunia—menjaganya dan menegakkannya—ia turut mengambil bagian dalam pahala semua āśrama (tahap-tahap kehidupan).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler earns profound spiritual merit not only through personal virtue but by actively honoring all beings through timely generosity and by safeguarding the dharma of society as a whole; such governance is said to confer the merit of all āśramas.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, describing the ethical ideal of kingship: the king should give appropriately, respect all creatures, and oversee the world’s dharma, thereby attaining merit comparable to living among sages and fulfilling all life-stages.