Shloka 19
Bṛhaspati’s Counsel on Contentment
Santoṣa), Restraint, and Adroha (Non-injury
प्रजानां पालने युक्ता धर्ममुत्तममास्थिता: । गोब्राह्माणार्थे युध्यन्त: प्राप्ता गतिमनुत्तमाम्,इस प्रकार धर्मका अनुसरण करनेवाले, सत्य, दान और तपमें संलग्न रहनेवाले, दया आदि गुणोंसे युक्त, काम-क्रोध आदि दोषोंसे रहित, प्रजापालन-परायण, उत्तम धर्मसेवी तथा गौओं और ब्राह्मणोंकी रक्षाके लिये युद्ध करनेवाले नरेशोंने परम उत्तम गति प्राप्त की है
prajānāṃ pālane yuktā dharmam uttamam āsthitāḥ | gobrāhmaṇārthe yudhyantaḥ prāptā gatim anuttamām ||
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देवस्थान उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a ruler’s highest duty is the protection and welfare of the people through adherence to supreme dharma; even warfare becomes ethically defensible when undertaken as protective duty—especially to safeguard the vulnerable and uphold sacred social responsibilities (symbolized by cows and Brahmins). Such dharmic governance leads to the highest spiritual outcome (anuttamā gati).
Devastāna (the speaker) is describing the exemplary conduct and destiny of righteous kings: they govern by protecting their subjects, remain established in the highest dharma, and, when necessary, fight for the protection of cows and Brahmins. The narrative point is to commend this model of kingship and to link it with attaining an unsurpassed state.