Shloka 1
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
ऑपन--माज बछ। ्:॑॑ि अष्टात्रिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: शत्रुओंसे घिरे हुए राजाके कर्तव्यके विषयमें बिडाल और चूहेका आख्यान युधिछिर उवाच सर्वत्र बुद्धि: कथिता श्रेष्ठा ते भरतर्षभ । अनागता तथोत्पन्ना दीर्घसूत्रा विनाशिनी,युधिष्ठिर बोले--भरतश्रेष्ठ। आपने सर्वत्र अनागत (संकट आनेसे पहले ही आत्मरक्षाकी व्यवस्था करनेवाली) तथा प्रत्युत्पन्न (समयपर बचावका उपाय सोच लेनेवाली) बुद्धिको ही श्रेष्ठ बताया है और प्रत्येक कार्यमें आलस्यके कारण विलम्ब करनेवाली बुद्धिको विनाशकारी बताया है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | sarvatra buddhiḥ kathitā śreṣṭhā te bharatarṣabha | anāgatā tathotpannā dīrghasūtrā vināśinī ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O best of the Bharatas, you have declared that, in every situation, the finest intelligence is of two kinds: foresight that prepares before danger arrives, and presence of mind that devises protection when danger has already arisen. But the intelligence that procrastinates—delaying action out of sluggishness—leads to ruin.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective judgment for a ruler (and for anyone) has two strengths: (1) foresight that prepares before trouble arrives (anāgatā buddhi), and (2) presence of mind that responds skillfully when trouble has already arisen (utpannā buddhi). Procrastination (dīrghasūtratā) is condemned as ruinous because it wastes the decisive moment.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma, summarizing Bhīṣma’s teaching about the kinds of intelligence needed in governance—especially when a king is threatened by enemies—and contrasting them with the destructive habit of delaying action.