Shloka 5
राजधर्मः, दण्डनीतिः, कर्तृत्व-विचारः च
Royal Duty, Lawful Discipline, and the Question of Agency
यः स्वयं प्रतिहन्ति सम शासन विषये रत: । स बाहुभ्यां विनिग्राह्मो लोकयात्राविधातक:
yaḥ svayaṁ pratihanti samaśāsana-viṣaye rataḥ | sa bāhubhyāṁ vinigrāhyo loka-yātrā-vidhātakaḥ ||
Vyāsa disse: “Aquele que, apegado aos prazeres e às coisas do mundo, viola por vontade própria a lei da contenção e a disciplina do governo, torna-se quem perturba o curso ordenado da sociedade. Tal traidor do dharma deve ser contido e subjugado pelo kṣatriya com a força de seus braços, para que se preservem a ordem pública e a conduta justa.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One who knowingly violates the discipline and law that sustain society becomes a threat to public order; it is the Kṣatriya’s duty, using legitimate force, to restrain such a person to protect dharma and social stability.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of governance and dharma, Vyāsa states a principle of rājadharma: when someone undermines lawful restraint and thereby harms the social order, the ruler/warrior class must curb him to maintain the proper functioning of society.