Shloka 43
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
मान्धाता! राजा दुष्टोंको दण्ड देनेके कारण यम तथा धार्मिकोंपर अनुग्रह करनेके कारण उनके लिये परमेश्वरके समान है। जब वह अपनी इन्द्रियोंको संयममें रखता है, तब शासनमें समर्थ होता है और जब संयममें नहीं रखता, तब मर्यादासे नीचे गिर जाता है ।।
māndhātā! rājā duṣṭān daṇḍa-dānāt yamavat, dhārmikān anugrahāt teṣāṃ prati parameśvara-samo bhavati. yadā sa indriyāṇi saṃyamya tiṣṭhati tadā śāsane samartho bhavati; yadā tu na saṃyamya tiṣṭhati tadā maryādāyā adho nipatati. ṛtvik-purohita-ācāryān satkṛtya anavamanya ca yadā samyak pragṛhṇāti, sa rājño dharma ucyate.
乌塔提耶说道：“噢，曼陀多罗！君王对恶人如阎摩，因为他施以惩罚；对义人如天主，因为他施以恩护。君王能约束诸根，方能胜任治国；若不自制，便坠落于礼法之下。又若君王不以轻慢之心，而以恭敬之礼尊崇祭官（ṛtvij）、王室祭司（purohita）与师长（ācārya），并以端正行止接受他们的教诲与辅佐，这便称为王之法（王者之达摩）。”
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s legitimacy rests on two pillars: disciplined self-control and impartial justice—punishing wrongdoing like Yama while protecting the righteous with benevolence; additionally, honoring and properly engaging priests and teachers is an essential part of royal dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, the sage Utathya addresses King Māndhātā, defining the ethical standards of rulership: restraint of the senses, maintenance of proper boundaries (maryādā), and respectful reliance on ritual and pedagogical authorities (ṛtvik, purohita, ācārya).