Shloka 33
धर्मारामान् धर्मपरान् ये न रक्षन्ति मानवान् । पार्थिवा: पुरुषव्याप्र तेषां पापं हरन्ति ते,पुरुषसिंह! जो राजा धर्ममें ही रमण करनेवाले धर्मपरायण मानवोंकी रक्षा नहीं करते हैं, वे उनके पाप बटोर लेते हैं
dharmārāmān dharmaparān ye na rakṣanti mānavān | pārthivāḥ puruṣavyāghra teṣāṃ pāpaṃ haranti te ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai harimau di antara manusia, raja-raja yang gagal melindungi manusia yang bersuka dalam dharma dan setia kepadanya—yang hidup menurut kebenaran—akhirnya menanggung dosa mereka.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s primary dharma is protection. If a ruler neglects to protect righteous, dharma-abiding people, the moral blame for resulting harm and disorder accrues to the ruler; the king 'takes' their sin by failing his duty.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma teaches the principles of rajadharma to the king (traditionally Yudhiṣṭhira). Here he warns that failure to protect virtuous subjects is not neutral—it makes the ruler morally accountable for the wrongdoing that follows.