Shloka 17
Bhīṣmadeva’s Passing Away in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
तस्मादिदं दैवतन्त्रं व्यवस्य भरतर्षभ । तस्यानुविहितोऽनाथा नाथ पाहि प्रजा: प्रभो ॥ १७ ॥
tasmād idaṁ daiva-tantraṁ vyavasya bharatarṣabha tasyānuvihito ’nāthā nātha pāhi prajāḥ prabho
เพราะฉะนั้น โอผู้ประเสริฐแห่งวงศ์ภารตะ จงตัดสินว่าเรื่องทั้งปวงนี้อยู่ในแผนของพระผู้เป็นเจ้า จงยอมรับแผนอันยากหยั่งรู้และดำเนินตามนั้น บัดนี้ท่านเป็นผู้นำการปกครองที่ได้รับแต่งตั้ง ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นนาย โปรดอภิบาลประชาชนผู้ไร้ที่พึ่งเถิด
The popular saying is that a housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by teaching the daughter. Similarly, the Lord teaches the world by teaching the devotee. The devotee does not have to learn anything new from the Lord because the Lord teaches the sincere devotee always from within. Whenever, therefore, a show is made to teach the devotee, as in the case of the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, it is for teaching the less intelligent men. A devotee’s duty, therefore, is to ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the Lord as a benediction. The Pāṇḍavas were advised by Bhīṣmadeva to accept the responsibility of administration without hesitation. The poor subjects were without protection due to the Battle of Kurukṣetra, and they were awaiting the assumption of power by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. A pure devotee of the Lord accepts tribulations as favors from the Lord. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no mundane difference between the two.
FAQs
This verse teaches that a ruler should establish and follow a God-centered system of dharma, and under that divine order protect the citizens who depend on the king for shelter.
After the Kurukshetra war, Yudhishthira was to rule; Bhishma instructed him in rajadharma—urging him to ground governance in divine dharma and to protect the people as their guardian.
Lead with dharma-based principles, create fair systems, and actively safeguard those without support—through ethical decisions, service, and responsibility toward dependents.