Shloka 45
राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)
यथा हि गर्भिणी हित्वा स्वं प्रियं मनसो5नुगम् । गर्भस्य हितमाधत्ते तथा राज्ञाप्पसंशयम्
yathā hi garbhiṇī hitvā svaṃ priyaṃ manaso'nugam | garbhasya hitam ādhattē tathā rājñā'pi saṃśayam ||
毗湿摩说道：“正如孕妇舍弃连心中所爱之饮食与享乐，也只顾及腹中胎儿之利益；君王亦当如此——毫不迟疑——舍弃个人所喜，只为众人之福祉而行。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous king must practice self-restraint: he should renounce personal likes and pleasures when they conflict with the common good, and govern with unwavering focus on the welfare of the people.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on rajadharma (the duties of kings). Here he uses a domestic, vivid analogy—pregnancy and maternal care—to emphasize that a ruler must prioritize the dependent (subjects) over his own preferences.