Shloka 393
अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira
समर्थास्त्रिदिवस्यापि पालने किं पुन: क्षिते: । “आप जो हमारी देख-रेख करनेके लिये हमें पाण्डवोंको सौंप रहे हैं, वह सब व्यर्थ है। ये पाण्डव तो स्वर्गका भी पालन करनेमें समर्थ हैं; फिर इस भूमण्डलकी तो बात ही क्या है
samarthās tridivasya api pālane kiṁ punaḥ kṣiteḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “They are capable of governing even the realm of the gods—what need, then, to speak of ruling the earth? Therefore, the idea that they must be ‘handed over’ to someone for supervision is pointless.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True authority rests on proven capability and dharmic fitness, not on external guardianship or patronage. The verse praises the Pāṇḍavas’ competence, implying that leadership should be entrusted to those who can sustain order and welfare—even under the highest standards.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker underscores that assigning the Pāṇḍavas to someone’s ‘care’ is unnecessary. The statement functions as a rhetorical commendation: if they can maintain even heaven, governing the earth is certainly within their power.