Shloka 43
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
मान्धाता! राजा दुष्टोंको दण्ड देनेके कारण यम तथा धार्मिकोंपर अनुग्रह करनेके कारण उनके लिये परमेश्वरके समान है। जब वह अपनी इन्द्रियोंको संयममें रखता है, तब शासनमें समर्थ होता है और जब संयममें नहीं रखता, तब मर्यादासे नीचे गिर जाता है ।।
māndhātā! rājā duṣṭān daṇḍa-dānāt yamavat, dhārmikān anugrahāt teṣāṃ prati parameśvara-samo bhavati. yadā sa indriyāṇi saṃyamya tiṣṭhati tadā śāsane samartho bhavati; yadā tu na saṃyamya tiṣṭhati tadā maryādāyā adho nipatati. ṛtvik-purohita-ācāryān satkṛtya anavamanya ca yadā samyak pragṛhṇāti, sa rājño dharma ucyate.
Wahai Māndhātṛ! Karena menghukum orang jahat, raja laksana Yama; dan karena menganugerahi orang benar, ia bagaikan Tuhan bagi mereka. Bila ia mengekang inderanya, ia sanggup memerintah; bila tidak, ia jatuh melampaui batas kepatutan. Dan ketika raja memuliakan para ṛtvij (imam upacara), purohita (pendeta istana), serta ācārya (guru)—tanpa merendahkan—serta menerima bimbingan dan pelayanan mereka dengan tata laku yang benar, itulah yang disebut dharma seorang raja.
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s legitimacy rests on two pillars: disciplined self-control and impartial justice—punishing wrongdoing like Yama while protecting the righteous with benevolence; additionally, honoring and properly engaging priests and teachers is an essential part of royal dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, the sage Utathya addresses King Māndhātā, defining the ethical standards of rulership: restraint of the senses, maintenance of proper boundaries (maryādā), and respectful reliance on ritual and pedagogical authorities (ṛtvik, purohita, ācārya).