Shloka 76
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
तत्र कि मन्यसे कृष्ण प्राप्तकालमनन्तरम् | कथमर्थाच्च धर्माच्च न हीयेमहि माधव,माधव श्रीकृष्ण! ऐसे समयमें आप क्या उचित समझते हैं? हम कैसा बर्ताव करें, जिससे हमें अर्थ और धर्मसे भी वंचित न होना पड़े?
tatra kiṁ manyase kṛṣṇa prāptakālam anantaram | katham arthāc ca dharmāc ca na hīyemahi mādhava ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „In dieser Lage, o Kṛṣṇa, da der entscheidende Augenblick gekommen ist—welchen Weg hältst du für den rechten? O Mādhava, wie sollen wir uns verhalten, damit wir weder artha (weltliches Wohlergehen) noch dharma (Rechtschaffenheit) einbüßen?“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a central Mahābhārata concern: in moments of political and moral crisis, one must choose a course that preserves both dharma (righteous duty) and artha (legitimate welfare and statecraft), seeking wise counsel to avoid losing either.
In Udyoga Parva, as events move toward an unavoidable confrontation, Yudhiṣṭhira turns to Kṛṣṇa for guidance, asking what immediate action is proper so the Pāṇḍavas do not forfeit moral legitimacy or practical advantage.