Shloka 49
Jarāsandha as Obstacle to the Rājasūya — Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Genealogical Brief
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13
केचिद्धि सौहृदादेव न दोषं परिचक्षते । स्वार्थहेतोस्तथैवान्ये प्रियमेव वदन्त्युत,कुछ लोग प्रेम-सम्बन्धके नाते ही मेरे दोषों या त्रुटियोंको नहीं बताते हैं। दूसरे लोग स्वार्थवश वही बात कहते हैं, जो मुझे प्रिय लगे
keciddhi sauhṛdādeva na doṣaṃ paricakṣate | svārthahetostathaivānye priyameva vadantyuta ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Some, merely out of affection and friendship, do not point out my faults at all. Others, driven by self-interest, speak only what is pleasing to me.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Yudhiṣṭhira highlights two common distortions of counsel: affection that conceals faults and self-interest that produces flattering speech. The ethical lesson is that a ruler (and any person seeking dharma) needs truthful, well-intentioned feedback rather than silence or pleasing words.
In the Sabha Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the reliability of those around him. He observes that some companions refrain from criticism out of friendship, while others speak to please him for personal gain—setting up the need for discerning, dharmic counsel.