Shloka 39
उतथ्योपदेशः—राजधर्मः, दर्पनिग्रहः, प्रजारक्षणम्
Utathya’s Instruction: Royal Dharma, Restraint of Pride, Protection of Subjects
अरक्षितात्मा यो राजा प्रजाश्चापि न रक्षति | प्रजाश्न॒ तस्य क्षीयन्ते ततः सो5नुविनश्यति,जो राजा अपनी रक्षा नहीं करता, वह प्रजाकी भी रक्षा नहीं कर सकता। पहले उसकी प्रजाएँ क्षीण होती हैं; फिर वह स्वयं भी नष्ट हो जाता है
arakṣitātmā yo rājā prajāś cāpi na rakṣati | prajāś ca tasya kṣīyante tataḥ so 'nuvinaśyati ||
乌塔提耶说道：不守护自身的人——不自持、不警醒的君王——也无法真正护佑臣民。先是其民衰败凋敝；继而君王自身亦走向覆亡。
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal protection of the people depends on the ruler’s prior protection of his own self—discipline, vigilance, and moral restraint. If the king is unguarded, the subjects decline first, and the king’s ruin follows as a consequence.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, the sage Utathya delivers a warning about governance: a negligent, self-unrestrained king cannot fulfill the duty of protecting his realm, leading to the deterioration of the populace and ultimately the king’s downfall.