Shloka 55
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
अन्ततो दयितं घ्नन्ति केचिदप्यपरे जना: । तस्याज़् बलहीनस्य पुत्रान् भ्रातृनपश्यत:
antato dayitaṃ ghnanti kecid apy apare janāḥ | tasyābalahīnasya putrān bhrātṝn apaśyataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sagte: „Am Ende schlagen manche sogar das nieder, was ihnen am teuersten ist; andere ebenso — sie töten den Geliebten, während er, kraftlos, nur zusehen kann, unfähig, seine Söhne und Brüder zu schützen. So ist die Grausamkeit, die entsteht, wenn die Stärke versagt und die Rechtschaffenheit verlassen wird.“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral collapse where attachment and kinship no longer restrain violence: when dharma is eclipsed and a person becomes powerless, even the dearest relations (sons and brothers) can be destroyed before one’s eyes. It warns that loss of strength and loss of righteousness together enable extreme cruelty.
In the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on human conduct and the tragic outcomes of conflict. He describes a situation where a helpless person must witness harm done to his closest family—an image used to underscore the urgency of ethical restraint and the dangers of escalating hostility.