Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 30
Cāturāśramya-dharma—Marks of the Four Āśramas (चातुराश्रम्यधर्मः)
प्रजापतिर्हिं भगवान् सर्व चैवासृजज्जगत् । स प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्त्यर्थ धर्माणां क्षत्रमिच्छति
prajāpatir hi bhagavān sarvaṃ caivāsṛjaj jagat | sa pravṛtti-nivṛtty-arthaṃ dharmāṇāṃ kṣatram icchati |
因陀罗说：“吉祥的生主（Prajāpati）创造了这整个世界。为使众生趋向正行、止息邪行，他意欲建立刹帝利之权（kṣatra）——王权——以护持达摩。”
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse grounds political power (kṣatra) in a moral purpose: governance and force are meant to protect dharma by encouraging rightful conduct (pravṛtti) and restraining wrongdoing (nivṛtti).
Indra explains a principle of cosmic and social design: after creating the world, Prajāpati intended the institution of royal/warrior authority so that society could be guided toward good action and checked from harmful action.