Mahabharata 1.99.40

1.99.40

satyavatyuvāca |
yathā sadyaḥ prapadyeta devī garbhaṃ tathā kuru |
arājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu nāsti vṛṣṭirna devatāḥ || 40 ||

"Satyavati then said, 'O sinless one, it must be as thou sayest. Take such steps that the ladies may conceive immediately. In a kingdom where there is no king, the people perish from want of protection; sacrifices and other holy acts are suspended; the clouds send no showers; and the gods disappear. How can a kingdom be protected that hath no king? Therefore, see thou that the ladies conceive. Bhishma will watch over the children as long as they are in their mother's wombs.