Shloka 11
Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)
सदैव राज्ञा योद्धव्यं सर्वलोकाद् युधिष्िर । तस्माद्धेतोहि युज्जीत मनुष्यानेव मानव:
sadaiva rājñā yoddhavyaṃ sarvalokād yudhiṣṭhira | tasmād heto hi yujjīta manuṣyān eva mānavaḥ ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, ang hari ay dapat laging handang makipagdigma alang-alang sa kapakanan ng lahat ng tao. Kaya nga, ang pinakadakila sa mga tao na namumuno ay dapat magtalaga ng mga taong ahente (mga espiya) upang malaman ang galaw at layon ng mga kaaway.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma is the protection of all people; this requires constant readiness for conflict when necessary and the prudent use of intelligence (spies) to understand enemy intentions, so that war is undertaken responsibly and effectively.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue on rājadharma, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance: the ruler must remain prepared to defend the realm and should deploy human agents to monitor adversaries and anticipate threats.