Shloka 13
राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च
Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline
पर्जन्यमिव भूतानि महाद्रुममिव द्विजा: | नरास्तमुपजीवन्ति नृपं सर्वार्थसाधकम्
parjanyam iva bhūtāni mahādrumam iva dvijāḥ | narās tam upajīvanti nṛpaṁ sarvārthasādhakam ||
毗湿摩说道：“众生赖雨云而生，群鸟依大树而栖；同样，人民亦凭依国王而得以存活——那位能成就一切正当目标的君主。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous king is to society what rain is to creatures and a great tree is to birds: a sustaining support. The ethical point is that governance should secure protection, livelihood, and the fulfillment of legitimate needs, so that people can live and pursue dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira about the king’s role. He uses natural analogies—rain-cloud and tree—to explain why subjects rely on the king and what kind of king truly deserves that reliance.