Shloka 20
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
बालवृद्धेषु कौन्तेय सर्वावस्थं युधिष्ठिर । अनुक्रोशक्रिया पार्थ सर्वावस्थं पर्दं भवेत्
bālavṛddheṣu kaunteya sarvāvasthaṁ yudhiṣṭhira | anukrośa-kriyā pārtha sarvāvasthaṁ paraṁ bhavet ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，昆蒂之子，噢，坚战（Yudhiṣṭhira）——是的，噢，帕尔塔——凡于一切境况中恒常以慈悲之行对待孩童与老者者，便在一切住期中得至上功德。如此怜悯若能持之以恒，便结成世人通过诸住期戒行所求之果。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steady compassion toward the most vulnerable—children and the elderly—is itself a supreme dharmic practice. When maintained in every circumstance, it grants the highest merit, comparable to (or encompassing) the fruits sought through the disciplines of all four āśramas.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he emphasizes a practical ethical rule for governance and personal conduct: consistent merciful behavior toward children and the aged as a hallmark of righteous living.