Shloka 13
मयूरवद्राजधर्मः (Mayūra-vat Rāja-dharma) — The Peacock-Model of Protective Kingship
एवमेतन्मजनुष्येन्द्र शूरैः प्राज्जैर्बहुशुतैः । कुलीनै: सह शक््येत कृत्स्ना जेतुं वसुन्धरा
evam etan manuṣyendra śūraiḥ prājñair bahuśrutaiḥ | kulīnaiḥ saha śakyeta kṛtsnā jetuṃ vasundharā nṛpendra ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Demikianlah adanya, wahai insan terbaik. Hanya dengan bergaul rapat dengan lelaki yang gagah berani, bijaksana, luas ilmunya, dan mulia budi pekertinya, barulah seseorang boleh berharap menakluk seluruh bumi, wahai raja. Kedaulatan tidak dimenangi dengan usaha bersendirian, tetapi dengan persekutuan bersama kebajikan, kecekapan, dan nasihat yang berdisiplin.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Great achievements—especially political sovereignty—depend on association with capable and virtuous people: the brave for execution, the wise for judgment, the learned for tradition and policy, and the noble for integrity and social legitimacy.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhīṣma addresses the king and emphasizes that conquering and governing the world is feasible only through the support and companionship of qualified allies and counselors, not through isolated power.