Shloka 7
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
यदधीते यद् ददाति यज्जुहोति यदर्चति । राजा चतुर्थभाक् तस्य प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्
yad adhīte yad dadāti yaj juhoti yad arcati | rājā caturthabhāk tasya prajā dharmeṇa pālayan ||
Bhishma berkata: Apa jua amalan kebajikan yang dilakukan oleh rakyat—mempelajari kitab suci (svādhyāya), bersedekah, mempersembahkan korban suci (homa), dan beribadat—maka raja yang melindungi rakyatnya menurut dharma berhak menerima seperempat daripada pahala itu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king who protects his subjects according to dharma becomes entitled to a quarter share of the religious merit generated by their study, charity, sacrifices, and worship—implying that righteous governance is itself a spiritually consequential duty.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira principles of righteous rule, explaining how the king’s dharma-based protection of the people links the ruler to the moral and religious prosperity of the realm.