Shloka 32
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
ये धर्मकुशला लोके धर्म कुर्वन्ति भारत । पालिता यस्य विषये धर्माशस्तस्य भूपते:,भरतनन्दन! जो धर्मकुशल मनुष्य लोकमें धर्मका अनुष्ठान करते हैं, वे जिस राजाके राज्यमें पालित होते हैं, उस राजाको उनके धर्मका छठा अंश प्राप्त होता है
ye dharmakuśalā loke dharma kurvanti bhārata | pālitā yasya viṣaye dharmāśas tasya bhūpateḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Ó Bharata, aqueles que são hábeis no dharma e praticam a retidão no mundo—quando vivem protegidos dentro do reino de um rei, esse rei recebe uma parte do mérito deles. Assim, o dever do governante de proteger e sustentar a ordem está eticamente ligado à virtude cultivada pelo povo sob sua autoridade.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king who protects and maintains order in his realm becomes ethically connected to the righteous deeds of his subjects and receives a share of their merit; therefore, good governance is itself a moral act with spiritual consequences.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of a ruler). Here he explains how the king’s protective role makes him a participant in the moral economy of the kingdom, gaining a portion of the merit generated by dharmic citizens.