Shloka 127
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
स्थापनं चाकरोद् विष्णु: स्वयमेव सनातन: । नातिवर्तिष्यते कश्चिद् राज॑स्त्वामिति भारत
sthāpanaṃ cākarod viṣṇuḥ svayam eva sanātanaḥ | nātivartiṣyate kaścid rājās tvām iti bhārata ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Viṣṇu yang kekal itu sendiri menetapkan batasan ini: ‘Wahai raja, wahai Bhārata, tiada sesiapa akan mampu melangkaui perintahmu.’” Ayat ini menegaskan bahawa kewibawaan raja yang selaras dengan dharma bukan sekadar kuasa peribadi, melainkan sempadan yang berasas ketuhanan untuk memelihara tertib dan mencegah pelanggaran.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate kingship is protected by a divinely sanctioned moral boundary: when a ruler’s command is grounded in dharma, it functions as an ordinance meant to restrain transgression and preserve order, not as arbitrary force.
Bhīṣma, instructing the king (addressed as ‘Bhārata’), states that Viṣṇu himself instituted a rule ensuring that no one would be able to violate the king’s rightful command—framing royal authority as established for the maintenance of dharma.