Shloka 19
Kośārtha-Rājadharma: Ethical Revenue Collection and Social Regulation (कोशार्थ-राजधर्मः)
भोक्ता तस्य तु पापस्थ सुकृतस्य यथा तथा । नियन्तव्या: सदा राज्ञा पापा ये स्युर्नराधिप
bhoktā tasya tu pāpastha sukṛtasya yathā tathā | niyantavyāḥ sadā rājñā pāpā ye syur narādhipa || nareśvara |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai raja, sebagaimana pemerintah turut menanggung sebahagian daripada dosa yang dilakukan dalam wilayahnya, demikian juga baginda memperoleh bahagian yang sepadan daripada pahala yang terhasil di sana. Oleh itu, wahai tuan manusia, raja hendaklah sentiasa mengekang dan menghukum mereka yang cenderung kepada kejahatan, menahan mereka di bawah kawalan—kerana beban moral kerajaan pasti menyentuh takhta.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king is morally implicated in the conduct of his realm: he shares in a portion of both sin and merit generated under his rule. Therefore, he must actively restrain and punish wrongdoing to protect dharma and to avoid accruing the kingdom’s moral fault.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising the king on governance after the war. Here he emphasizes the ruler’s responsibility to maintain order and righteousness, warning that the king partakes in the karmic consequences of his subjects’ actions.