Shloka 99
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
कृतस्य करणादू राजा स्वर्गमत्यन्तमश्षुते । त्रेताया: करणादू राजा स्वर्ग नात्यन्तमश्लुते
kṛtasya karaṇād rājā svargam atyantam aśnute | tretāyāḥ karaṇād rājā svargaṁ nātyantam aśnute ||
毗湿摩说：“国王若建立劫初（Kṛta／Satya）之秩序，便得无上而长久之天界果报；若建立特雷塔（Tretā）之秩序，亦得天界，然非那究竟不坏之得。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s spiritual outcome depends on the quality of the social-moral order he establishes: instituting the highest dharma (like Kṛta/Satya-yuga standards) yields an unsurpassed, enduring heavenly result, whereas instituting a lesser order (Tretā standards) yields heaven but not an imperishable or ultimate reward.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and dharma, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira that governance is not merely administrative: by shaping society toward higher or lower dharmic norms (symbolized by yugas), a king determines the magnitude and durability of his posthumous reward.