Shloka 29
अध्याय ७२ — राजधर्मः: प्रजारक्षण, कर-नीति, दण्ड-नीति, अमात्य-नियोजन
Chapter 72 — Royal Duty: protection of subjects, taxation, punishment, and appointments
यदल्ला कुरुते धर्म प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् । दशवर्षसहस्राणि तस्य भुंक्ते फलं दिवि,और प्रजाका धर्मपूर्वक पालन करनेके कारण राजा एक दिनमें जिस धर्मका भागी होता है, उसका फल वह दस हजार वर्षोतक स्वर्गलोकमें रहकर भोगता है
yad ahar kurute dharmaṁ prajā dharmeṇa pālayan | daśavarṣasahasrāṇi tasya bhuṅkte phalaṁ divi ||
毗湿摩说：国王若一日之内依正法护民，所获之善与义，其功德之果，必在天界享受一万年。其旨在于：以法为本、以护民为行的正政，所增之福德远超当下之举。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s highest daily duty is dharmic protection of the people; the merit gained from such just governance is extraordinarily amplified, yielding long enjoyment of its फल (reward) in heaven.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on राजधर्म (the duties of kings), Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira about the spiritual and ethical consequences of rulership, emphasizing that protecting subjects according to dharma brings immense पुण्य (merit).