Shloka 25
Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)
दारेष्वप्यतिसक्तश्न यक्ष्माणं समपद्यत | यदा त्वराजके राष्ट्र न ववर्ष सुरेश्वर: । तदाभ्यधावन् मामेव प्रजा: क्षुद्धयपीडिता:
dāreṣv apy atisaktaś ca yakṣmāṇaṃ samapadyata | yadā tv arājake rāṣṭre na vavarṣa sureśvaraḥ | tadābhyadhāvan mām eva prajāḥ kṣudhayāpīḍitāḥ |
Vāyu sagte: „Selbst in übermäßiger Bindung an ihre Gemahlinnen verfielen sie der Schwindsucht (rājayakṣmā) und fanden, von ihr gequält, den Tod. Dann, als das Reich ohne König war, hielt Indra, der Herr der Götter, den Regen zurück. In dieser Lage lief das ganze Volk, von Hunger gepeinigt, allein zu mir, um Zuflucht zu suchen.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links personal and political disorder to collective suffering: uncontrolled attachment leads to bodily ruin, and a kingless realm loses stability so severely that even nature’s support (rain) is withdrawn; in crisis, people seek a sustaining power for protection.
Vāyu recounts a time when people, weakened by disease arising from excessive sensual attachment, died; afterward, in a rulerless kingdom, Indra stopped the rains, causing famine, and the starving populace rushed to Vāyu for help.