Shloka 2
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! राजा जिस वृत्तिसे रहनेपर अपने प्रजाजनोंकी उन्नति करता है और स्वयं भी विशुद्ध लोकोंपर विजय प्राप्त कर लेता है, वह मुझे बताइये ।।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—pitāmaha! rājā yāṃ vṛttiṃ samāsthāya prajājanānām unnatiṃ karoti svayaṃ ca viśuddha-lokān jayati, tāṃ me brūhi || bhīṣma uvāca—dānaśīlo bhaved rājā yajñaśīlaś ca bhārata | upavāsa-tapaḥśīlaḥ prajānāṃ pālane rataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira bertanya: “Wahai Datuk, beritahulah kepadaku cara hidup yang dengannya seorang raja memajukan kebajikan dan kemajuan rakyatnya, dan juga meraih bagi dirinya alam-alam yang suci dan tinggi.” Bhīṣma menjawab: “Wahai keturunan Bharata, seorang raja hendaklah tekun dalam sedekah, tekun dalam korban suci, berdisiplin dalam puasa dan tapa, serta sentiasa sibuk melindungi dan memelihara rakyatnya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma is defined by beneficent governance: generosity (dāna), commitment to sacred duty (yajña), personal discipline through fasting and austerity (upavāsa, tapas), and unwavering dedication to protecting and nurturing the subjects (prajā-pālana). Such conduct brings both public prosperity and the ruler’s own spiritual merit.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue on statecraft and dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to describe the conduct by which a ruler ensures the people’s uplift and attains higher, pure realms. Bhīṣma answers with a concise list of royal virtues and duties.