Shloka 5
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
पितृवत्तेषु चाह:सु पुत्राणां श्राद्धकर्मणि
pitṛvat teṣu cāhaḥsu putrāṇāṃ śrāddhakarmaṇi, viparītakaśna me śatrur niyamyāśna bhavennaraḥ |
বৈশম্পায়ন বললেন—“পুত্রদের শ্রাদ্ধকর্মের সেই দিনগুলোতে মানুষকে পিতৃসম জ্যেষ্ঠদের মান্য করে সংযমসহ ভোজন করা উচিত। যে এর বিপরীত আচরণ করে, সে আমার শত্রু; আর যে সংযম ও শৃঙ্খলায় থাকে, সেই যথার্থ পুরুষ।”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharma expressed as reverence to elders (pitṛvat), disciplined conduct (niyamya), and social-ethical order: honoring rightful authority and acting with restraint—especially in contexts like śrāddha—marks a person as righteous, while contrary conduct is treated as hostility to dharma and governance.
Vaiśampāyana frames Yudhiṣṭhira’s compassionate rule: he instructs his brothers and ministers to treat Dhṛtarāṣṭra as a venerable elder and to follow his directives; those who comply are counted as friends, while those who oppose are regarded as enemies liable to punishment.