एवं युक्तो महाराज: पाण्डव: पार्थिवर्षभ: । कथं नाहति राजाहमासनं पृथिवीपते
evaṁ yukto mahārājaḥ pāṇḍavaḥ pārthivarṣabhaḥ | kathaṁ nārhati rājāham āsanaṁ pṛthivīpate nareśvara ||
হে পৃথিবীপতি! এমন গুণে ভূষিত এই পাণ্ডব—রাজাদের মধ্যে শ্রেষ্ঠ—কেন রাজাসনের যোগ্য হবে না?
अर्जुन उवाच
Legitimate kingship is grounded in dharma and character: compassion, steadfast righteousness, and exemplary conduct are presented as the true qualifications for the throne, beyond mere power or circumstance.
Arjuna addresses a king and argues on ethical and political grounds that Yudhiṣṭhira—described as supremely virtuous and dharma-devoted—rightfully deserves the royal seat, framing the point as a rhetorical question.