Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 41
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
विहितं दृश्यते राजन् सागरान्तां च मेदिनीम् | क्षत्रियो हि स्वधर्मेण श्रियं प्राप्रोति भूयसीम् । राजा दण्डधरो राजन रक्षा नान्यत्र क्षत्रियात्
vihitaṃ dṛśyate rājan sāgarāntāṃ ca medinīm | kṣatriyo hi svadharmeṇa śriyaṃ prāpnoti bhūyasīm | rājā daṇḍadharo rājan rakṣā nānyatra kṣatriyāt | rājā yudhiṣṭhira |
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ໃນຊາສຕຣະ (śāstra) ໄດ້ບັນຍັດໄວ້ວ່າ ອຳນາດເຫນືອແຜ່ນດິນຈົນຮອດທະເລທີ່ລ້ອມຮອບ ແມ່ນຖືກກຳນົດໃຫ້ແກ່ກະສັດຕຣິຍະ (Kṣatriya). ແທ້ຈິງ ໂດຍຍຶດຖືທຳມະຂອງຕົນ ກະສັດຕຣິຍະຍ່ອມໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມຮຸ່ງເຮືອງແລະສະຫງ່າລາສີອັນໃຫຍ່ຫຼວງ. ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ຜູ້ປົກຄອງແມ່ນຜູ້ຖືດັນດາ (daṇḍa) ໄມ້ແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດ; ການປົກປ້ອງບໍ່ອາດໄດ້ມາຈາກທາງອື່ນໃດນອກຈາກກະສັດຕຣິຍະ—ໂອ ພະຣາຊາຢຸທິສະຖິຣະ!»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that political authority, prosperity, and especially the duty of protection are śāstrically assigned to the Kṣatriya; the king must wield daṇḍa (lawful punishment) to secure order and safety.
In his instruction to King Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma, Bhīṣma emphasizes the Kṣatriya’s role as ruler and protector, asserting that security and governance depend on the king’s disciplined use of authority.