Shloka 18
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
भीष्म उवाच वेदाहं तव या बुद्धिरानृशंस्यगुणैव सा । न च शुद्धानृशंस्येन शक््यं राज्यमुपासितुम्
bhīṣma uvāca | vedāhaṁ tava yā buddhir ānṛśaṁsyaguṇaiva sā | na ca śuddhānṛśaṁsyena śakyaṁ rājyam upāsitum ||
Bhishma berkata: “Aku mengetahui kecenderungan akal budimu—ia benar-benar dipenuhi kebajikan belas kasihan dan tidak kejam. Namun sebuah kerajaan tidak dapat diperintah dengan kelembutan semata-mata.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Compassion (ānṛśaṁsya) is a vital royal virtue, but effective kingship requires more than gentleness—firmness, discipline, and practical measures are also necessary to protect order and uphold dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and acknowledges his compassionate nature, then cautions that ruling cannot be sustained by compassion alone.