Shloka 20
मयूरवद्राजधर्मः (Mayūra-vat Rāja-dharma) — The Peacock-Model of Protective Kingship
एषा ते नैछ्िकी बुद्धि: प्रजास्वभिहिता मया । शुनो निदर्शनं तात कि भूय: श्रोतुमिच्छसि
eṣā te naiṣṭhikī buddhiḥ prajāsva abhihitā mayā | śuno nidarśanaṃ tāta kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi, tāta ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Này con, ta đã giảng cho con sự hiểu biết vững bền, có nguyên tắc về việc chăm dân và trị dân. Ta cũng đã nêu thí dụ về con chó. Nay con còn muốn nghe điều gì nữa?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes that he has already conveyed a settled, steadfast guideline (naiṣṭhikī buddhi) concerning the ruler’s duty toward the people—i.e., principled governance and protection of subjects—and signals that the instruction is complete unless the listener seeks further clarification.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and public welfare, Bhīṣma concludes a segment of counsel to his listener by referring back to an earlier illustrative story (“the example of the dog”) and asks what additional teaching is desired.