Shloka 8
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
तत्र मित्रबलं राजन् मौलं चैव विशिष्यते । श्रेणीबलं भृतं चैव तुल्ये एवेति मे मति:,राजन! इनमें मित्रबल और धनबल सबसे बढ़कर है। श्रेणीबल और भृत्यबल--ये दोनों समान ही हैं, ऐसा मेरा विश्वास है
tatra mitrabalaṃ rājan maulaṃ caiva viśiṣyate | śreṇībalaṃ bhṛtaṃ caiva tulye eveti me matiḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „In dieser Angelegenheit, o König, erweisen sich die Kraft der Verbündeten und die Kraft des eigenen Reichtums als die entscheidendsten. Was die Kraft der Zünfte und die Kraft bezahlter Gefolgsleute betrifft, so sind sie nach meinem Urteil im Wesentlichen gleich.“
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dhṛtarāṣṭra ranks sources of political strength: reliable allies and one’s own resources (especially wealth) are most decisive, while institutional backing (guilds) and hired manpower are comparable but secondary. The ethical implication is that durable power rests more on stable relationships and self-sustaining means than on purely purchased force.
In the Ashramavāsika setting, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks reflectively as an elder king, offering a practical assessment of what constitutes real strength in governance—distinguishing between support from friends/allies, personal/royal resources, organized corporate support, and hired retainers.