Shloka 60
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
भवानपि तथा सम्यड्मान्धातेव महीपते । धर्म कृत्वा महीं रक्ष स्वर्गे स्थानमवाप्स्यसि
bhavān api tathā samyag māndhāteva mahīpate | dharmaṃ kṛtvā mahīṃ rakṣa svarge sthānam avāpsyasi pṛthvīnātha |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai raja, engkau pun—seperti Māndhātṛ—hendaknya menegakkan dharma dengan benar dan melindungi bumi. Dengan menunaikan kewajiban rajamu demikian, engkau akan memperoleh tempat di surga, wahai penguasa negeri.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s path to merit is not withdrawal but the proper performance of rajadharma: upholding dharma and protecting the realm and its people. Bhishma frames kingship as a moral obligation whose faithful execution leads to spiritual reward (svarga).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and urges him to rule righteously. He cites Māndhātṛ as a model monarch and exhorts the listener to protect the earth in the same dharmic manner, promising heavenly attainment as the fruit of such duty.