Mahabharata 12.72.26

एष एव परो धर्मो यद्राजा रक्षते प्रजाःभूतानां हि यथा धर्मे रक्षणं च परा दया

eṣa eva paro dharmo yadrājā rakṣate prajāḥbhūtānāṃ hi yathā dharme rakṣaṇaṃ ca parā dayā

Our plain-language meaning of this verse is waiting for scholar review.