Shloka 21
एकचक्रानिवासे ब्राह्मणगृहदुःखश्रवणम् | Hearing the Brāhmaṇa Household’s Distress at Ekacakrā
यो जानाति परप्रज्ञां नीतिशास्त्रानुसारिणीम् । विज्ञायेह तथा कुर्यादापद॑ निस्तरेद् यथा
yo jānāti paraprajñāṁ nītiśāstrānusāriṇīm | vijñāyeha tathā kuryād āpadaṁ nistared yathā ||
Wer die Klugheit eines anderen erkennt—wie sie den Grundsätzen der Staatskunst und der sittlichen Politik folgt—soll, nachdem er dies hier durchschaut hat, entsprechend handeln, damit er eine Krise auf rechte Weise überwindet.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches practical wisdom: discern the mindset and judgment of others—especially how they operate according to policy and ethical norms—and then respond appropriately. Such calibrated action helps one navigate and overcome times of danger (āpada).
Vaiśampāyana, in the course of narrating the Mahābhārata, states a general maxim of conduct: success in difficult situations depends on correctly reading others’ intentions and capacities and acting with nīti (prudent, principled strategy) so that adversity can be safely crossed.