Shloka 1
Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)
ऑपन- माल छा अपि्>-ऋा-ज एकोननवतितमो<ध्याय: राजाके कर्तव्यका वर्णन भीष्म उवाच वनस्पतीन् भक्ष्यफलात् न च्छिन्द़्ुर्विषये तव | ब्राह्मणानां मूलफल धर्म्यमाहुर्मनीषिण:
Bhīṣma uvāca: Vanaspatīn bhakṣya-phalāt na cchindyuḥ viṣaye tava | Brāhmaṇānāṁ mūla-phalaṁ dharmyam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
Bhishma bersabda: “Wahai Yudhishthira, pastikan di negerimu tak seorang pun menebang pohon yang berbuah untuk dimakan. Orang bijak menyatakan bahwa akar dan buah adalah harta kaum Brahmana yang disahkan oleh dharma; karena itu pohon-pohon demikian tidak patut ditebang.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma includes protecting life-supporting resources: fruit-bearing trees should not be cut, since their produce (roots and fruits) is regarded as a legitimate, dharma-approved means of sustenance—especially associated with Brahmin livelihood and ritual economy.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on practical governance. Here he gives a concrete rule for the realm: prohibit felling edible fruit trees, grounding the policy in dharma and the welfare of Brahmins and society.