Shloka 1536
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
व्याधितो वा कृशो वापि तस्मिन् नाभून्नर: क्वचित् । उनके राज्यमें कहीं कोई भी कृपण, दुर्गतिग्रस्त, रोगी अथवा दुर्बल मनुष्य नहीं दृष्टिगोचर होता था
vyādhito vā kṛśo vāpi tasmin nābhūn naraḥ kvacit |
Bhīṣma berkata: Di negeri itu, tidak dapat ditemui di mana-mana seorang pun yang ditimpa penyakit atau susut kerana kelemahan; tiada pula kelihatan orang kedekut, papa, atau menderita. Kenyataan ini menggambarkan cita-cita pemerintahan raja, yang diukur melalui ketiadaan nyata kemiskinan, pengabaian, dan penderitaan yang sepatutnya dapat dicegah dalam kalangan rakyat.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is validated by public welfare: when governance is righteous and attentive, society shows fewer signs of destitution, neglect, and preventable suffering—no one is left visibly sick, weakened, or ruined by misfortune.
Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma, describes the condition of an exemplary realm: it is so well-ordered that one does not see people who are diseased, emaciated, or crushed by hardship, implying effective protection and provision by the king.