Shloka 103
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
जो अभयदान देकर प्रजाका धर्मपूर्वक पालन करते हुए स्वयं ही अपनी प्रतिज्ञाको सत्य प्रमाणित कर देता है, वह राजा सबको सुख देनेवाला समझा जाता है ।।
yo 'bhayadānaṃ dattvā prajāṃ dharmapūrvakaṃ pālayan svayam eva svapratijñāṃ satyāṃ pramāṇayati, sa rājā sarvasukhapradaḥ saṃmataḥ. mātā pitā gurugoptā vahnivaiśravaṇo yamaḥ; sapta rājño guṇān etān manur āha prajāpatiḥ.
梵摩达多说道：那位赐予“无畏”、依达摩护持臣民，并以自身行为证明誓言真实的国王，被视为赐乐于众之人。生主摩奴（Prajāpati Manu）宣说了国王的七种德性，因此将国王比作母亲、父亲、师长、守护者、火、俱毗罗（毗舍罗婆那，Vaiśravaṇa）以及阎摩（Yama）。
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous king is defined by protective governance rooted in dharma: he grants fearlessness, keeps his vows through personal integrity, and thereby becomes a source of welfare for all. The verse frames ideal rulership as a blend of nurture, guidance, protection, discipline, prosperity, and justice.
In a didactic passage on rājadharma within Śānti Parva, Brahmadatta explains the marks of an ideal ruler and cites Manu’s traditional formulation of seven kingly qualities, expressed through comparisons to mother, father, teacher, guardian, fire, Kubera, and Yama.