Shloka 17
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
बल॑ प्रसादयेद् राजा निक्षिपेद् बलिनो नरान् | ज्ञात्वा स्वविषयं तत्र सामादिभिरुपक्रमेत्
balaṁ prasādayed rājā nikṣiped balino narān | jñātvā svaviṣayaṁ tatra sāmādibhir upakramet ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Ein König soll sein Heer durch Belohnungen und Gunstbezeigungen zufrieden halten und starke, tüchtige Männer anwerben. Hat er den Umfang seiner Macht und Mittel klar erkannt, so soll er seine Politik in Gang setzen – beginnend mit Beschwichtigung und den übrigen Mitteln –, um Frieden zu schließen oder Krieg zu führen.“
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must secure the loyalty and morale of the army through appropriate rewards, recruit capable strength, realistically assess his own resources, and then act through the classical policy sequence—starting with conciliation (sāma) and proceeding through other measures—toward peace or, if necessary, war.
In the Āśramavāsika context, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in a reflective, advisory mode, articulating principles of kingship: maintaining military satisfaction, strengthening the force with able men, and choosing diplomatic or coercive strategies only after judging one’s true capacity.