Shloka 28
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
उवाच दुष्कृतं कश्चिद् युधिष्ठिरभयान्नर: । युधिष्ठिरके भयसे कोई भी मनुष्य कभी राजा धृतराष्ट्र और दुर्योधनके कुकृत्योंकी चर्चा नहीं करता था ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
uvāca duṣkṛtaṃ kaścid yudhiṣṭhirabhayān naraḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: Out of fear of Yudhiṣṭhira, no man would speak aloud of the misdeeds that had been done. The king’s authority and moral stature were such that people restrained their speech, avoiding any talk that might be taken as hostile or disruptive.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a ruler’s moral and political power shapes public speech: fear can enforce restraint, but it also suppresses open discussion of wrongdoing. It implicitly raises an ethical tension between maintaining order and allowing truthful critique.
Vaiśampāyana describes the social atmosphere under Yudhiṣṭhira’s rule: people, intimidated by the king’s authority, do not openly speak about misdeeds—suggesting a controlled or cautious public discourse in the post-war setting.