Shloka 73
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
सर्वथा त्वेतदुचितं दुर्बलेषु बलीयसाम् । अनादरोडविरोधश्व प्रणिपाती हि दुर्बल:,यह सर्वथा उचित है कि बलवानोंकी दुर्बलोंके प्रति आदरबुद्धि न हो। वे उसका विरोध भी नहीं करते। दुर्बल वही है, जो सदा झुकनेके लिये तैयार रहे
sarvathā tv etad ucitaṃ durbaleṣu balīyasām | anādaro 'virodhaś ca praṇipātī hi durbalaḥ ||
“In every way this is what is deemed fitting among the strong in relation to the weak: they show no regard for them, and the weak do not even offer resistance. Indeed, the truly weak is the one who is always ready to bow down.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects a hard political-ethical observation: power often breeds disregard for the powerless, and weakness is marked by habitual submission and inability (or unwillingness) to resist. It implicitly warns that dignity and agency are essential to avoid being treated with contempt.
Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking during the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war negotiations and counsel, articulating a realistic assessment of how the strong tend to behave toward the weak and how the weak, by constant capitulation, invite further disregard.