Shloka 9
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय २५: संजयदूतवाक्यम्
Sañjaya’s Envoy-Speech on Peace
स्वयं राजा विषमस्थ: परेषु सामस्थ्यमन्विच्छति तन्न साधु । यथा<55त्मन: पश्यति वृत्तमेव तथा परेषामपि सो भ्युपैतु,राजा धृतराष्ट्र स्वयं तो विषम-बर्तावमें लगे हुए हैं; परंतु दूसरोंमें समतापूर्ण बर्ताव देखना चाहते हैं, यह अच्छी बात नहीं है। वे जैसा अपना बर्ताव देखते हैं, वैसा ही दूसरोंका भी देखें
svayaṁ rājā viṣamasthaḥ pareṣu sāmasthyam anvicchati tan na sādhu | yathātmanaḥ paśyati vṛttam eva tathā pareṣām api so 'bhyupaitu ||
Sañjaya said: “The king himself stands in an unfair posture, yet he seeks fairness in others—this is not right. As he judges his own conduct, so should he also judge the conduct of others.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler (or anyone) must apply the same standard to oneself and to others. Seeking fairness from others while acting unfairly oneself is ethically improper; true dharma requires impartiality and consistent judgment.
Sañjaya comments critically on King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s stance: the king is implicated in unequal, biased conduct, yet expects equitable behavior from others. Sañjaya urges him to recognize others’ actions with the same lens he uses for his own.