Shloka 39
उतथ्योपदेशः—राजधर्मः, दर्पनिग्रहः, प्रजारक्षणम्
Utathya’s Instruction: Royal Dharma, Restraint of Pride, Protection of Subjects
अरक्षितात्मा यो राजा प्रजाश्चापि न रक्षति | प्रजाश्न॒ तस्य क्षीयन्ते ततः सो5नुविनश्यति
arakṣitātmā yo rājā prajāś cāpi na rakṣati | prajāś ca tasya kṣīyante tataḥ so 'nuvinaśyati ||
Утатхья сказал: царь, который не хранит самого себя — не блюдет самодисциплину и бдительность, — не способен по-настоящему защитить подданных. Сначала его народ чахнет и истощается; затем и он сам приходит к гибели.
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal protection of the people depends on the ruler’s prior protection of his own self—discipline, vigilance, and moral restraint. If the king is unguarded, the subjects decline first, and the king’s ruin follows as a consequence.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, the sage Utathya delivers a warning about governance: a negligent, self-unrestrained king cannot fulfill the duty of protecting his realm, leading to the deterioration of the populace and ultimately the king’s downfall.