Shloka 6
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
ततः स राजा कौरव्यो धृतराष्ट्री महामना:
tataḥ sa rājā kauravyo dhṛtarāṣṭrī mahāmanāḥ | viparīta-kṛc chna me śatrur niyamya-kṛc chna bhaven naraḥ ||
Then that high-minded Kuru king, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, declared: “A man who acts contrary to my injunctions is my enemy; but one who restrains himself and lives under discipline becomes a worthy person.” In the narrative setting, this underscores the ethic of obedience to rightful authority and self-control as the basis of social harmony in the aftermath of the great war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that social and moral order depends on disciplined self-restraint and adherence to legitimate injunctions; defiance of rightful authority is framed as enmity, while self-controlled conduct is praised as true manliness.
In the Ashramavāsika context—after the war, as the elders move toward a life of restraint—the speaker presents a principle of governance and conduct: those who follow the elder king’s directives are treated as allies, while those who act contrary are treated as adversaries.