Shloka 24
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
कुन्तीनन्दन! बड़ी-छोटी पत्नियों, भाइयों, पुत्रों और नातियोंको भी जो राजा अपराध करनेपर दण्ड और अच्छे कार्य करनेपर अनुग्रहरूप पुरस्कार देता है, यही उसके द्वारा गा्हस्थ्य-धर्मका पालन है और यही उसकी तपस्या है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | kuntīnandana! bṛhad-aṇu-patnīṣu bhrātṛṣu putreṣu pautreṣu ca yo rājā aparādhe daṇḍaṃ dadāti satkṛtye cānugraharūpaṃ puraskāraṃ dadāti, etad eva tena gārhasthya-dharmasya pālanaṃ, etad eva ca tasya tapaḥ || sādhūnām arcanīyānāṃ pūjā suviditātmanām | pālanaṃ puruṣavyāghra gṛhāśrama-phala-pradam bhavet ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，昆蒂之子！国王若能不徇私情，惩治罪过、奖赏善行，即便所涉之人是自己的妻子（长或幼）、兄弟、儿子或孙子，也由此真正护持居家之法；这份公正的治理本身就是他的苦行（tapas）。又，噢，人中之虎！礼敬并护持那些应受供养、以知自我（Ātman）而著称的圣贤（sādhu），亦能成为获得家住阶段功德之果的因缘。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s true austerity is ethical impartiality: he must punish wrongdoing and reward virtue even when his own relatives are involved. In addition, honoring and protecting realized, virtuous sages is presented as a key source of merit aligned with the householder’s dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance. He defines the king’s duty in terms of fair application of punishment and reward, and he links royal responsibility to the broader gṛhastha ideal of supporting and safeguarding worthy sages.