Shloka 24
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
कुन्तीनन्दन! बड़ी-छोटी पत्नियों, भाइयों, पुत्रों और नातियोंको भी जो राजा अपराध करनेपर दण्ड और अच्छे कार्य करनेपर अनुग्रहरूप पुरस्कार देता है, यही उसके द्वारा गा्हस्थ्य-धर्मका पालन है और यही उसकी तपस्या है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | kuntīnandana! bṛhad-aṇu-patnīṣu bhrātṛṣu putreṣu pautreṣu ca yo rājā aparādhe daṇḍaṃ dadāti satkṛtye cānugraharūpaṃ puraskāraṃ dadāti, etad eva tena gārhasthya-dharmasya pālanaṃ, etad eva ca tasya tapaḥ || sādhūnām arcanīyānāṃ pūjā suviditātmanām | pālanaṃ puruṣavyāghra gṛhāśrama-phala-pradam bhavet ||
Sinabi ni Bhishma: “O anak ni Kunti, ang haring—walang kinikilingan—nagpaparusa sa kasalanan at nagbibigay-gantimpala sa mabuting asal, kahit ang sangkot ay sarili niyang mga asawa (nakatatanda man o nakababata), mga kapatid, mga anak, o mga apo, ay siyang tunay na nagtataguyod ng dharma ng gārhasthya; ang gayong walang-kinikilingang pamamahala ang kanyang tapas. At higit pa, O tigre sa mga tao, ang paggalang at pagpupugay sa mga banal na sadhu na karapat-dapat sambahin, na tanyag bilang mga nakakakilala sa Sarili (Ātman), at ang pag-iingat sa kanila, ay pinagmumulan ng mabungang gantimpala ng yugto ng buhay-maybahay.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s true austerity is ethical impartiality: he must punish wrongdoing and reward virtue even when his own relatives are involved. In addition, honoring and protecting realized, virtuous sages is presented as a key source of merit aligned with the householder’s dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance. He defines the king’s duty in terms of fair application of punishment and reward, and he links royal responsibility to the broader gṛhastha ideal of supporting and safeguarding worthy sages.