Shloka 99
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
कृतस्य करणादू राजा स्वर्गमत्यन्तमश्षुते । त्रेताया: करणादू राजा स्वर्ग नात्यन्तमश्लुते
kṛtasya karaṇād rājā svargam atyantam aśnute | tretāyāḥ karaṇād rājā svargaṁ nātyantam aśnute ||
کِرت یُگ کی ترتیب قائم کرنے سے بادشاہ کو نہایت برتر اور ابدی سُوَرگ ملتا ہے؛ مگر تریتا یُگ کی ترتیب قائم کرنے سے سُوَرگ تو ملتا ہے، لیکن وہ اس اعلیٰ و لازوال درجے کا نہیں ہوتا۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s spiritual outcome depends on the quality of the social-moral order he establishes: instituting the highest dharma (like Kṛta/Satya-yuga standards) yields an unsurpassed, enduring heavenly result, whereas instituting a lesser order (Tretā standards) yields heaven but not an imperishable or ultimate reward.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and dharma, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira that governance is not merely administrative: by shaping society toward higher or lower dharmic norms (symbolized by yugas), a king determines the magnitude and durability of his posthumous reward.