Shloka 22
राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान
Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence
राज्यं सर्वामिषं नित्यमार्जवेनेह धार्यते | तस्मान्मिश्रेण सततं वर्तितव्यं युधिष्ठिर
bhīṣma uvāca | rājyaṃ sarvāmīṣaṃ nityam ārjavenaiha dhāryate | tasmān miśreṇa satataṃ vartitavyaṃ yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhishma disse: “A realeza é sempre um objeto comum de desejo e fruição para todos; neste mundo, ela só se sustenta pela retidão simples e pela integridade. Portanto, ó Yudhishthira, um rei deve sempre conduzir-se com uma mistura criteriosa—combinando firmeza e severidade com brandura e compaixão.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that sovereignty is universally coveted and thus fragile; it is best sustained through ārjava (straightforward integrity). Yet effective rule requires a balanced, mixed policy—firmness to restrain wrongdoing and gentleness to protect and nurture subjects.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma, lying on the bed of arrows, counsels King Yudhishthira on how to preserve and administer the kingdom: rule with honest rectitude, while blending severity and compassion as circumstances demand.