Shloka 18
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
भीष्म उवाच वेदाहं तव या बुद्धिरानृशंस्यगुणैव सा । न च शुद्धानृशंस्येन शक््यं राज्यमुपासितुम्
bhīṣma uvāca | vedāhaṁ tava yā buddhir ānṛśaṁsyaguṇaiva sā | na ca śuddhānṛśaṁsyena śakyaṁ rājyam upāsitum ||
ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ข้ารู้ดีถึงสภาพปัญญาของท่าน—เต็มไปด้วยคุณแห่งความกรุณาและความไม่โหดร้าย แต่การปกครองแผ่นดินย่อมไม่อาจอาศัยเพียงความอ่อนโยนล้วนๆ ได้”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Compassion (ānṛśaṁsya) is a vital royal virtue, but effective kingship requires more than gentleness—firmness, discipline, and practical measures are also necessary to protect order and uphold dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and acknowledges his compassionate nature, then cautions that ruling cannot be sustained by compassion alone.