Shloka 35
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
वार्तामूलो हायं लोकस्त्रय्या वै धार्यते सदा । तत् सर्व वर्तते सम्यग् यदा रक्षति भूमिप:
vārtāmūlo hy ayaṁ lokas trayyā vai dhāryate sadā | tat sarvaṁ vartate samyag yadā rakṣati bhūmipaḥ ||
Vasumanā disse: “Este mundo tem sua raiz na vārtā—o sustento e a economia produtiva—e é continuamente mantido pelo ‘tríplice saber védico’ (trayyā). Tudo segue em boa ordem somente quando o rei protege seus súditos.”
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
Society rests on two supports: (1) vārtā—practical livelihood and economic production—and (2) trayī—Vedic knowledge that sustains ritual, moral, and social norms. These flourish only under a ruler who actively protects the people; protection is presented as the king’s central dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s discourse on dharma and governance, Vasumanā speaks about the foundations of social stability, emphasizing that orderly life depends on the king’s protective rule, alongside the sustaining role of Vedic tradition and productive livelihoods.