Shloka 35
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
त्वमेव प्रीतिमांस्तस्मात् कुरूणां कुरुसत्तम । भव राजा जय स्वर्ग सतो रक्षासतो जहि
tvam eva prītimāṁs tasmāt kurūṇāṁ kurusattama | bhava rājā jaya svargaṁ sato rakṣāsato jahi ||
Bhishma berkata: “O yang terbaik antara kaum Kuru, maka engkau seoranglah—dengan hati yang baik—yang patut menjadi raja bagi rakyat Kuru. Lindungilah orang benar, binasakan orang zalim; dan dengan menunaikan kewajipan demikian, menangkanlah kemenangan di syurga.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to accept kingship with a benevolent mind, protect the righteous, restrain and punish the unrighteous, and thereby uphold social order; such faithful performance of duty is presented as a path to heavenly merit.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma exhorts the Kuru heir (contextually Yudhiṣṭhira) to take up the throne, rule with goodwill, safeguard virtuous subjects, and suppress wrongdoing, framing kingship as a moral responsibility rather than a mere privilege.