Shloka 5
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
तेषां यः क्षत्रियो वेद वस्त्राणामिव शोधनम् | शीलदोषान् विनिर्हर्तु स पिता स प्रजापति:
teṣāṁ yaḥ kṣatriyo veda vastrāṇām iva śodhanam | śīladoṣān vinirhartu sa pitā sa prajāpatiḥ ||
ان میں وہ کشَتریہ جو کپڑے کی میل دھونے والے دھوبی کی طرح کردار کے عیوب دور کرنا جانتا ہے، وہی رعایا کا باپ ہے اور وہی پرجاپتی (حاکم) ہے۔
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rulership is defined not merely by power or birth but by the ability to purify society morally—removing defects of character and restoring right conduct, as a washerman cleanses stained cloth.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Utathya describes the true mark of a worthy Kṣatriya-ruler: one who knows how to correct and eliminate faults in conduct among the people is the real guardian and sovereign (prajāpati) of the realm.