Shloka 9
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
राजैव कर्ता भूतानां राजैव च विनाशक: । धर्मात्मा यः स कर्तास्यादधर्मात्मा विनाशक:
rājāiva kartā bhūtānāṃ rājāiva ca vināśakaḥ | dharmātmā yaḥ sa kartā syād adharmātmā vināśakaḥ ||
乌塔提耶说道：唯有国王是众生的造就者，唯有国王亦是众生的毁灭者。奉持达摩之王，仿佛成为臣民生命的赐予者与护持者；而沉溺阿达摩之王，则成为他们覆亡的使者。此偈揭示王权之道德决定性：同一权柄既能护佑，亦能摧毁，全系于君主内心是否与正法相应。
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal power is ethically double-edged: the king’s conduct determines whether his rule becomes life-sustaining protection (when grounded in dharma) or destructive oppression (when grounded in adharma).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and righteousness, the sage Utathya teaches about the moral weight of kingship, emphasizing that a ruler’s inner commitment to dharma directly shapes the welfare or ruin of the people.