Shloka 5
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
पितृवत्तेषु चाह:सु पुत्राणां श्राद्धकर्मणि
pitṛvat teṣu cāhaḥsu putrāṇāṃ śrāddhakarmaṇi, viparītakaśna me śatrur niyamyāśna bhavennaraḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “On those days when the sons perform the śrāddha rites, a man should eat with restraint, treating the elders as one would one’s own fathers. Whoever acts in a contrary manner becomes my enemy; but the person who remains disciplined and obedient is to be regarded as a proper man.” In the narrative setting, Yudhiṣṭhira’s gentle governance is highlighted: he repeatedly reminds his brothers and ministers that Dhṛtarāṣṭra is worthy of honor, and that loyalty to the elder king’s commands is the mark of friendship and righteousness, while defiance is treated as hostility deserving punishment.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharma expressed as reverence to elders (pitṛvat), disciplined conduct (niyamya), and social-ethical order: honoring rightful authority and acting with restraint—especially in contexts like śrāddha—marks a person as righteous, while contrary conduct is treated as hostility to dharma and governance.
Vaiśampāyana frames Yudhiṣṭhira’s compassionate rule: he instructs his brothers and ministers to treat Dhṛtarāṣṭra as a venerable elder and to follow his directives; those who comply are counted as friends, while those who oppose are regarded as enemies liable to punishment.