Shloka 31
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
नाक़ुष्टं सहते कश्चित् कुतो वा हस्तलाघवम् | यदि राजा न सम्यग ् गां रक्षयत्यपि धार्मिक:
nākruṣṭaṃ sahate kaścit kuto vā hastalāghavam | yadi rājā na samyag gāṃ rakṣayaty api dhārmikaḥ ||
瓦苏玛那说：“无人能忍受辱骂，更何况挨打。纵然国王自身守法行义，若不能妥善守护大地——其民与其国——又怎能指望任何人去承受言辱与拳杖之耻？”
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s personal piety is insufficient if he fails in his primary duty of protection. When governance does not secure people from insult and violence, ordinary persons cannot be expected to patiently endure humiliation; thus protection and justice are central to rājadharma.
In the Shānti Parva’s discussion on rājadharma, Vasumanā argues that social peace depends on effective royal protection. He stresses that unchecked abuse and physical aggression arise when the ruler does not properly safeguard the realm, even if the ruler is otherwise ‘dhārmika’.