Shloka 16
Kṣātra-dharma in Campaign and Battle: Protection, Purification, and the Ideal Warrior’s End (क्षात्रधर्मः—अभियानयुद्धे रक्षणदानशुद्धिः)
यदि शूरस्तथा क्षेम॑ प्रतिरक्षेद् यथाभये । प्रतिरूपं जन॑ कुर्यान्न चेत् तद्धर्तते तथा
yadi śūras tathā kṣemaṃ pratirakṣed yathābhaye | pratirūpaṃ janaṃ kuryān na cet tad dhartate tathā ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Kung ang isang matapang ay makapagtatanggol sa katiwasayan ng kaharian sa paraang tulad ng kanyang pagkilos sa oras ng panganib, nararapat niyang italaga ang isang taong angkop sa tungkuling iyon. Kung hindi niya gagawin, ang katiwasayang iyon ay hindi mapananatili sa wastong paraan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler or protector must ensure public welfare not only in crises but also in peaceful times; if he cannot personally sustain that vigilance, he must appoint a competent and suitable person, otherwise welfare and security will not be properly maintained.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical ethics of rule: continuous protection of the realm requires steady oversight and, when necessary, delegation to qualified individuals.