Shloka 5
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
नाराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु वस्तव्यमिति रोचये । नाराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु हव्यमग्निर्वहत्युत
bhīṣma uvāca |
nārājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu vastavyam iti rocaye |
nārājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu havyam agnir vahaty uta ||
ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു— എന്റെ ഉറച്ച അഭിപ്രായം: രാജാവില്ലാത്ത രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ വസിക്കരുത്. രാജാവില്ലാത്ത രാജ്യത്തിൽ അർപ്പിച്ച ഹവിസ്സും അഗ്നിദേവൻ വഹിക്കുകയില്ല.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes that legitimate kingship is essential for dharma and social stability: without a ruler, order collapses so deeply that even Vedic ritual is portrayed as ineffective—Agni will not ‘carry’ the offering—signaling a breakdown of both civic and sacred life.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and rajadharma, Bhishma advises the listener that living in a kingless realm is undesirable. He underscores the point with a ritual image: in the absence of a king, even sacrificial offerings fail to reach their intended divine recipients.