Shloka 15
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
(विद्वांस:क्षत्रिया वैश्या ब्राह्मणाश्व बहुश्रुता: । दण्डनीतौ तु निष्पन्ना मन्त्रिण: पृथिवीपते ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
vidvāṃsaḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyā brāhmaṇāś ca bahuśrutāḥ |
daṇḍanītau tu niṣpannā mantriṇaḥ pṛthivīpate ||
praṣṭavyo brāhmaṇaḥ pūrvaṃ nītiśāstrasya tattvavit |
paścāt pṛcchet bhūpālaḥ kṣatriyaṃ nītikovidam ||
vaiśyaśūdrāv tathā bhūyaḥ śāstrajñau hitakāriṇau |
ajñāyamāne hīnatve sandhiṃ kuryāt pareṇa vai |
lipsur vā kañcid evārthaṃ tvaramāṇo vicakṣaṇaḥ ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ໂອ ຈອມແຜ່ນດິນ, ກະສັດພຶງແຕ່ງຕັ້ງເປັນອຳມາດຜູ້ຮູ້ຫຼາຍ ທັງກະສັດຕະວະ (Kshatriya), ໄວຊະ (Vaishya) ແລະ ພຣາຫມະນະ (Brahmin) ຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນດັນດະນີຕິ (daṇḍanīti: ວິຊາການປົກຄອງແລະການລົງໂທດ). ກ່ອນອື່ນ ພຶງຖາມຄຳປຶກສາຈາກພຣາຫມະນະຜູ້ຮູ້ແກ່ນແທ້ແຫ່ງນີຕິສາດ; ຕໍ່ມາ ຈຶ່ງຖາມກະສັດຕະວະຜູ້ຊ່ຽວນະໂຍບາຍ; ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງຮັບຟັງຈາກໄວຊະ ແລະ ຊູດຣະ (Shudra) ຜູ້ຮູ້ຄຳສອນທາງປະຕິບັດ ແລະ ມຸ່ງປະໂຫຍດແກ່ກະສັດ. ຍິ່ງກວ່ານັ້ນ ກ່ອນທີ່ຄວາມອ່ອນແອຂອງຕົນຈະຖືກຮູ້ ພຶງເຮັດສັນຍາກັບສັດຕູ; ແລະຖ້າສັນຍານັ້ນຊ່ວຍໃຫ້ບັນລຸເປົ້າໝາຍໃດໜຶ່ງ ກະສັດຜູ້ສະຫລາດພຶງເຮັດດ້ວຍຄວາມຮີບດ່ວນ ຢ່າຊັກຊ້າ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should build a competent council drawn from multiple social groups, prioritizing principled ethical insight (Brahmin), then strategic-political expertise (Kshatriya), and then practical welfare-oriented counsel (Vaishya and Shudra). In diplomacy, prudence requires making peace or alliance before one’s weakness becomes visible, especially when it secures a concrete objective.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira principles of governance: how to select and consult ministers in an ordered way, and how to act swiftly in forming treaties with opponents when strategic conditions demand it.