Shloka 20
राजा-दैवतत्वम् — The King as a Stabilizing ‘Daivata’ (Divine Function) in Social Order
तब उन सबने मिलकर आपसमें नियम बनाया--यह बात हमारे सुननेमें आयी है। वह नियम इस प्रकार है--“हम लोगोंमेंसे जो भी निछ्लर बोलनेवाला
bhīṣma uvāca | tataḥ te sarve militvā parasparaṃ niyamaṃ cakruḥ—iti naḥ śrutam | sa niyamaḥ evaṃvidhaḥ—“asmākaṃ madhye yaḥ kaścid nīcabhāṣī, bhayānaka-daṇḍa-pradaḥ, parastrī-gāmī, paradhana-apahartā ca bhavet, tān sarvān asmābhiḥ samājāt bahiṣkartuṃ yuktam” iti | sarvavarṇeṣu viśvāsaṃ janayituṃ sāmānyataḥ evaṃ niyamaṃ kṛtvā, taṃ pālayantaḥ te sarve sukhenāvasan || sahitās tāstadā jagmur asukhārtāḥ pitāmaham | anīśvarā vinaśyāmo bhagavan īśvaraṃ diśa ||
毗湿摩说：于是众人聚集，如我们所闻，彼此立下一条共同的规约。其规约曰：“我众之中，凡口出秽言者、施以骇人刑罚者、染指他人妻者、劫夺他人财物者——皆当逐出社群。”他们以此通行之法令，意在使诸社会阶序之人皆生信任；遵行之下，便得以安宁而居。然而后来灾厄复起，他们同往祖父（Pitamaha）之前，哀告道：“若无护佑者，我等必将灭亡。噢，具福之尊，请为我们指派一位统治者。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A stable society requires shared ethical norms and enforcement: those who harm others through abusive speech, cruel punishment, adultery, or theft undermine trust and should be excluded; yet even with norms, people recognize the need for legitimate rulership to prevent collapse.
People collectively create a code of conduct to secure mutual trust and peaceful living, but later, facing distress and the dangers of being without governance, they approach the Grandsire and request that a ruler be appointed for them.