Shloka 163
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
यहाँ राजा और राज्यके लिये जो परम धर्म और परम पवित्र वस्तु है, उसे सुनिये। जिसकी पृथ्वी दक्षिणा-रूपमें दे दी जाती है अर्थात् जो अपनी राज्यभूमिका दान कर देता है, वह अश्वमेध यज्ञके पुण्यफलका भागी होता है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | iha rājā ca rājyārthe yaḥ paramo dharmaḥ paramā ca pavitrā vastur asti, tāṃ śṛṇu | yasya pṛthivī dakṣiṇā-rūpeṇa dattā bhavati, arthāt yaḥ svāṃ rājyabhūmiṃ dadāti, sa aśvamedha-yajñasya puṇya-phalasya bhāgī bhavati || saham etāni karmāṇi rāja-duḥkhāni maithila | samarthā śataśo vaktum athavāpi sahasraśaḥ | mithilā-nareśa! ye rājānaṃ duḥkhaṃ dadati, tādṛśāni karmāṇi aham iha vaktuṃ śaknomi ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Ngayon pakinggan mo kung alin ang pinakamataas na dharma at ang pinakadalisay na simulain para sa isang hari at para sa kapakanan ng kaharian. Ang sinumang nagkakaloob ng mismong lupa bilang dakṣiṇā—ibig sabihin, inihahandog ang sariling lupang-hari—ay nagiging kabahagi sa meritong nakamit sa sakripisyong Aśvamedha. O Maithila, kaya kong ilahad dito ang daan-daan, maging libu-libo, na gawaing nagdadala ng pagdurusa sa isang hari. O hari ng Mithilā, maipapahayag ko ang marami pang gawang ganito na nagpapabigat sa loob ng isang pinuno.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma elevates land-gift (donating one’s own royal territory as dakshina) as an exceptionally purifying royal act, equating its merit with participation in the fruit of the Ashvamedha; he also signals that many specific administrative or moral missteps can cause a king great suffering, preparing the listener for a broader discourse on raja-dharma.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma addresses a Maithila ruler (king of Mithila) and begins outlining supreme royal duties: first praising the extraordinary merit of donating land, then stating his capacity to enumerate numerous deeds that bring hardship to kings, introducing a detailed advisory section on the burdens and pitfalls of rulership.