Shloka 6
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च कलिश्न भरतर्षभ । राजवृत्तानि सर्वाणि राजैव युगमुच्यते
kṛtaṃ tretā dvāparaṃ ca kaliś ca bharatarṣabha | rājavṛttāni sarvāṇi rājā eva yugam ucyate, bharataśreṣṭha ||
ອຸຕັດຖະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ເປັນດັ່ງງົວຜູ້ກ້າໃນວົງພັນບາຣະຕະ, ຍຸກທັງສີ່—ກຣິຕະ, ເຕຣຕາ, ດວາປະຣະ, ແລະ ກະລິ—ລ້ວນຕັ້ງຢູ່ໃນຄວາມປະພຶດຂອງກະສັດ. ແທ້ຈິງ ກະສັດນັ້ນແຫຼະຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ຍຸກ’ ເພາະໂດຍການປົກຄອງ ແລະ ວິໄນຂອງຕົນ ພຣະອົງກໍານົດລັກສະນະ ແລະ ທິດທາງຂອງເວລາ».
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The moral quality of an age is not merely cosmic fate; it is concretely produced by the king’s conduct. When the ruler embodies dharma, society experiences a ‘Kṛta-like’ condition; when the ruler is unrighteous, society slides toward ‘Kali-like’ disorder. Thus political leadership is presented as a primary driver of collective ethics.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, the sage Utathya addresses a Bharata prince/kingly listener, explaining that the four yugas are reflected in and effectively instituted by the behavior and policies of the reigning king.