Shloka 13
Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment
Chapter 86
न चापि गूढं द्रव्यं ते ग्राह्मे कार्योपघातकम् । कार्य खलु विपन्ने त्वां सो<धर्मस्तांश्व पीडयेत्,राजन! तुमको किसीका कोई गुप्त धन ग्रहण नहीं करना चाहिये; क्योंकि वह तुम्हारे कर्तव्य--न्यायधर्मका नाश करनेवाला होगा। यदि कहीं वास्तवमें तुम्हारे न््यायधर्मका नाश हुआ तो वह अधर्म तुम्हें और तुम्हारे मन्त्रियोंको बड़े कष्टमें डाल देगा
na cāpi gūḍhaṃ dravyaṃ te grāhyaṃ kāryopaghātakam | kāryaṃ khalu vipanne tvāṃ so 'dharmas tāṃś ca pīḍayet, rājan ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Jangan pula engkau menerima sebarang harta yang tersembunyi atau rahsia, kerana ia meruntuhkan kewajipanmu yang sah—tugas menegakkan keadilan dan pemerintahan. Jika kewajipan awammu benar-benar musnah, adharma itulah yang akan menimpa engkau, wahai raja, dan juga membawa penderitaan besar kepada para menterimu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must not accept concealed or illicit wealth (a covert gift or bribe), because it damages the king’s kārya—his public duty of justice and administration. When governance is compromised, adharma rebounds upon the king and spreads harm to his ministers as well.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on ethical governance. Here he warns against taking secret wealth, emphasizing that such corruption destroys rightful state duty and brings suffering to the ruler and his counsellors.