Shloka 29
Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment
Chapter 86
एतैरेव गुणैर्युक्त: प्रतिहारो5स्य रक्षिता । शिरोरक्षश्न भवति गुणैरेतै: समन्वित:
etair eva guṇair yuktaḥ pratihāro ’sya rakṣitā | śirorakṣaś ca bhavati guṇair etaiḥ samanvitaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“守门之人（pratīhāra）既为王之卫士，也当具备这些同样的德行。同样，统领近卫、负责君主身安之首席护卫，亦须以此诸德自备。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that those entrusted with protecting the ruler—whether at the gate or as the chief personal guard—must share the same set of virtues. Security is treated as a moral office: protection is reliable only when grounded in character and disciplined conduct.
In Śānti Parva’s rājadharma instruction, Bhīṣma continues outlining standards for royal administration. Here he specifies that the king’s gatekeeper and chief bodyguard should be appointed only if they possess the previously described qualities, emphasizing consistent ethical requirements across protective roles.