Shloka 51
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
भिक्षुकांश्चाक्रिकांश्वैव क्लीबोन्मत्तान् कुशीलवान् । बाह्यान् कुर्यन्नरश्रेष्ठ दोषाय स्युरहि तेडन्यथा
bhikṣukāṁś cākṛkāṁś caiva klībonmattān kuśīlavān | bāhyān kuryān naraśreṣṭha doṣāya syur hi te ’nyathā ||
Wahai insan terbaik, ketika perang telah pecah, raja hendaknya mengeluarkan dari kota para pengemis, kusir kereta, banci, orang gila, dan para pemain sandiwara. Jika tidak, mereka yang dibiarkan di dalam dapat menjadi sumber bencana besar dan kekacauan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In wartime, a ruler must prioritize public security and prevent internal disorder; Bhishma advises removing potentially disruptive or vulnerable groups from the city to reduce risks such as panic, espionage, sabotage, or breakdown of discipline.
Bhishma, in his instruction on kingship and statecraft in the Shanti Parva, gives practical counsel to the king: when conflict begins, the city should be secured by controlling movement and relocating certain non-combatant groups outside the urban center to avert danger.