Shloka 57
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
यथाशीला हि राजान: सर्वान् विषयवासिन: । श्रेयसा योजयत्याशु श्रेयसि प्रत्युपस्थिते
yathāśīlā hi rājānaḥ sarvān viṣayavāsinaḥ | śreyasā yojayaty āśu śreyasi pratyupasthite ||
ナーラダは言った。「王の性質がいかなるものであれ、その国に住む者たちもまたそのようになってゆく。さらに、より高き善の機会が現れると、王はただちに民衆すべてをその善へと結びつけ、福祉と向上にあずからせるのだ。」
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ruler’s personal character directly molds the moral and behavioral tone of society; therefore a king who recognizes and embraces śreyas (the higher good) can quickly elevate the whole community by aligning them with that good.
Nārada is instructing about rāja-dharma in the Śānti Parva, emphasizing the king as a moral exemplar whose virtues or faults spread through the realm, and whose timely pursuit of welfare can bring collective uplift.