Shloka 21
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
शास्त्र ब्राह्मणमन्त्राश्व॒ शास्ता प्राग्वदतां वर: । धर्मपालो5क्षरो देव: सत्यगो नित्यगोडग्रज:
śāstra-brāhmaṇa-mantrāśva śāstā prāg-vadatāṃ varaḥ | dharma-pālo 'kṣaro devaḥ satya-go nitya-go 'grajaḥ ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ພຣະອົງແມ່ນຜູ້ຊີ້ນຳສູງສຸດ, ເປັນຜູ້ດີເລີດໃນບັນດາຜູ້ກ່າວໄວ້ແຕ່ບູຮານ—ທຳໃຫ້ອຳນາດແຫ່ງຄຳພີ (śāstra) ດຳລົງ, ຮັກສາຄວາມສັກສິດຂອງພຣາຫມັນ, ແລະພະລັງຂອງມັນຕຣາ. ພຣະອົງແມ່ນຜູ້ພິທັກທຳມະ, ຜູ້ເປັນເທວະອັນບໍ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ, ເຄື່ອນໄຫວຢູ່ໃນຄວາມຈິງຢ່າງນິລັນດອນ ແລະໝັ້ນຄົງຢ່າງນິລັນດອນ—ເປັນຜູ້ເຖົ້າອາວຸໂສອັນສູງສຸດ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate authority—whether of a king or a divine guardian—is grounded in protecting dharma through fidelity to śāstra, honoring Brāhmaṇas and mantras, and unwavering commitment to truth and imperishability of principle.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance and ethical order. Here he offers a laudatory description of the ideal protector—one who safeguards dharma and embodies truth—framing the standards by which rule and moral leadership should be measured.