Shloka 33
दुर्ग-निवेश-राजधर्मः | Fortified Capital and the King’s Residential Polity
Rājadharma
एष ते लक्षणोद्देश: संक्षेपेण प्रकीर्तित: । यादृशे नगरे राजा स्वयमावस्तुमरहति,युधिष्ठिर! तुम्हारे प्रश्नके अनुसार राजाको स्वयं जैसे नगरमें निवास करना चाहिये, उसका लक्षण मैंने यहाँ संक्षेपसे बताया है
eṣa te lakṣaṇoddeśaḥ saṅkṣepeṇa prakīrtitaḥ | yādṛśe nagare rājā svayam āvastum arhati, yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhishma berkata: “Inilah garis besar ciri-ciri yang telah kukatakan kepadamu secara ringkas. Wahai Yudhishthira, menurut pertanyaanmu, aku telah menghuraikan dengan singkat jenis kota yang patut didiami sendiri oleh seorang raja.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma signals that he has given a concise set of criteria for the kind of city suitable for a king’s personal residence—implying that a ruler’s dwelling should align with dharma, security, and good governance rather than mere luxury.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue on rajadharma, Bhishma responds to Yudhishthira’s inquiry by concluding (or summarizing) his description of the proper characteristics of a city where the king should live himself.