Shloka 35
Adhyāya 128 — Proposal to Restrain Keśava; Sātyaki’s Warning and Vidura–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Counsel
कामाभिभूत: क्रोधाद् वा यो मिथ्या प्रतिपद्यते । स्वेषु चान्येषु वा तस्य न सहाया भवन्त्युत
kāmābhibhūtaḥ krodhād vā yo mithyā pratipadyate | sveṣu cānyeṣu vā tasya na sahāyā bhavanty uta ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: A ruler who, overcome by desire or by anger, conducts himself falsely—deceitfully and unjustly—toward his own people or toward others, finds that no one truly stands by him as an ally.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s support network depends on righteous conduct: when desire or anger drives him into deceit and injustice—whether against his own people or others—he loses genuine allies and helpers.
Vaiśampāyana delivers a moral observation within the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-filled setting, emphasizing that political strength and alliance are sustained by dharmic behavior, not by manipulative or wrathful rule.