Shloka 4
Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)
स चेन्नोपनिवर्तेत वाच्यो ब्राह्मणसंसदि । कस्मिन्निदानीं मर्यादामयं लोक: करिष्यति
sa cennopanivarteta vācyo brāhmaṇasaṃsadi | kasminn idānīṃ maryādām ayaṃ lokaḥ kariṣyati |
Bhishma bersabda: “Jika brahmana itu tetap tidak berbalik, raja hendaknya menegurnya di hadapan sidang para brahmana: ‘Wahai brahmana, bila engkau pergi dari sini, maka di bawah perlindungan siapakah rakyat ini akan hidup dan memelihara batas-batas dharma?’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma in society depends on recognized moral authority and protection; if a principled brāhmaṇa withdraws, the king must appeal to him publicly, emphasizing that the populace needs guidance and a stable standard (maryādā) to sustain righteous conduct.
Bhīṣma advises what a king should say if a brāhmaṇa refuses to return: in a brāhmaṇa assembly the king should respectfully question who will uphold dharma’s boundaries for the people if the brāhmaṇa leaves, thereby urging him to remain for the welfare of society.