Shloka 67
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
अस्मान् वा त्वं पराजित्य प्रशाधि पृथिवीमिमाम्
asmān vā tvaṃ parājitya praśādhi pṛthivīm imām
Yudhiṣṭhira sagte: „Wenn du uns besiegen kannst, dann herrsche über eben diese Erde und regiere sie, wie du willst.“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Rule is presented as contingent on rightful victory in a kṣatriya context: sovereignty over the earth is to be claimed only by one who can prevail in battle, implying that political authority must be backed by demonstrated strength and legitimacy rather than mere assertion.
In the midst of the Shalya Parva war setting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an opponent with a stark conditional offer: if the opponent can defeat the Pāṇḍavas, then he may take and govern the earth—framing the conflict as a decisive test for rightful rulership.