Shloka 19
राष्ट्रगुप्ति-संग्रहः
Protection of the Realm and Principles of Revenue & Local Administration
ईहाद्वाराणि संरुध्य राजा सम्प्रीतदर्शन: । प्रद्धिषन्ति परिख्यातं राजानमतिखादिनम्
bhīṣma uvāca | īhādvārāṇi saṃrudhya rājā samprītadarśanaḥ | praddhiṣanti parikhyātaṃ rājānam atikhādinam |
Bhishma berkata: “Hendaklah raja menutup pintu-pintu ketamakan dan kepentingan diri, lalu menjadi seorang yang bahkan dengan memandang wajahnya pun rakyat berasa senang. Kerana apabila seorang pemerintah menjadi masyhur sebagai pemakan yang berlebihan—yang memerah, merampas, dan menghabiskan harta serta sumber hidup rakyatnya—seluruh rakyat akan berpaling menaruh kebencian.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must restrain greed and avoid excessive extraction from the people; rulership should be welfare-oriented so that the ruler remains प्रियदर्शन (pleasing and trusted), not notorious as an exploiter.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma advises the ruler to close the ‘doors’ of selfish desire and warns that if a king becomes famous for over-consuming the people’s resources, public resentment and hatred inevitably arise.