Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
वैदिकानि च कर्माणि भवन्ति विगुणान्युत । ऋतवो न सुखा: सर्वे भवन्त्यामयिनस्तथा
vaidikāni ca karmāṇi bhavanti viguṇāny uta | ṛtavo na sukhāḥ sarve bhavanty āmayinas tathā ||
भीष्म म्हणाले—वैदिक कर्मे विधिपूर्वक न झाल्यास ती गुणहीन होऊन फलदायी राहत नाहीत. त्याचा परिणाम असा की ऋतूही सुखद राहत नाहीत; बहुतेकदा ते रोग देणारे होतात।
भीष्म उवाच
Properly performed Vedic duties sustain harmony; when ritual and dharma are neglected or done incorrectly, their merit declines and the wider world reflects that disorder—manifesting as unpleasant, disease-bringing seasons.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on governance and dharma. Here he explains a chain of consequences: flawed performance of Vedic rites leads to a breakdown in auspicious conditions in nature, symbolized by unhealthy seasons.