Shloka 13
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
पालनात् सर्वभूतानां स्वराष्ट्रपरिपालनात् । दीक्षा बहुविधा राजन् सत्याश्रमपदं भवेत्
pālanāt sarvabhūtānāṁ svarāṣṭraparipālanāt | dīkṣā bahuvidhā rājan satyāśramapadaṁ bhavet ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ರಾಜನೇ! ಸರ್ವಭೂತಗಳ ಪಾಲನೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವರಾಜ್ಯದ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯಿಂದ ರಾಜನಿಗೆ ಅನೇಕ ವಿಧದ ಯಜ್ಞದೀಕ್ಷೆಗಳ ಸಮಾನ ಪುಣ್ಯ ದೊರೆಯುತ್ತದೆ; ಇಂತಹ ಧರ್ಮಯುಕ್ತ ಆಡಳಿತದಿಂದ ಅವನು ಸತ್ಯಾಶ್ರಮದ—ಸನ್ನ್ಯಾಸಸಮಾನ—ಫಲವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s primary dharma is protection—of all beings and of the realm. When governance is exercised as selfless guardianship, its merit equals that of many sacrificial consecrations and can yield a spiritual fruit comparable to renunciation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma addresses the king and explains that righteous rule—especially protection and maintenance of order—functions as a high religious discipline, granting merit traditionally associated with ritual vows and even the renunciant ideal.