Shloka 31
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
वेदवेदाड्वित् प्राज्ञ: सुतपस्वी नूपो भवेत् । दानशीलश्चव सततं यज्ञशीलक्ष भारत,भरतनन्दन! राजाको वेदों और वेदाड़ोंका विद्वान, बुद्धिमान, तपस्वी, सदा दानशील और यज्ञपरायण होना चाहिये
Bhīṣma uvāca: vedavedāṅgavid prājñaḥ sutapāsvī nṛpo bhavet | dānaśīlaś ca satataṃ yajñaśīlaś ca Bhārata, Bharatanandana ||
О радость рода Бхараты! Царь должен быть сведущ в Ведах и их вспомогательных науках, наделён рассудительностью, предан аскезе (тапасу), всегда щедр на дары и твёрд в совершении яджн и общественных религиозных обязанностей.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma defines the ethical profile of righteous kingship: the ruler should unite learning (Veda and Vedāṅga), practical wisdom, self-discipline through austerity, generosity, and commitment to yajña—understood as religious duty and public welfare—so that governance remains aligned with dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira after the war, listing the virtues a king must cultivate to rule justly and stabilize society.