Shloka 27
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 146 — Brāhmaṇī’s counsel on grief, duty, and protection of children
अपदस्थान् पदे तिष्ठन्नपक्षान् पक्षसंस्थित: । हीनकोशान् महाकोश: प्रयोगर्घातयेद् भ्रुवम्,इस समय वह अधिकारपूर्ण पदपर प्रतिष्ठित है और हम उससे वंचित हैं। वह सहायकोंके साथ है और हम असहाय हैं। उसके पास बहुत बड़ा खजाना है और हमारे पास उसका सर्वथा अभाव है। अत: निश्चय ही वह अनेक प्रकारके उपायोंद्वारा हमारी हत्या कर सकता है
apadasthān pade tiṣṭhann apakṣān pakṣasaṃsthitaḥ | hīnakośān mahākośaḥ prayogair ghātayed bhruvam ||
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Él está firmemente asentado en el poder, mientras nosotros hemos sido arrojados de nuestro lugar legítimo. Él cuenta con aliados, y nosotros carecemos de apoyo. Él posee inmensas riquezas, y nosotros estamos totalmente sin recursos. Por ello, mediante muchas estratagemas, podría sin duda causarnos la muerte.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how imbalance of power—office, allies, and wealth—creates real ethical and practical vulnerability. It implicitly warns that when dharma is undermined by unequal force, the weaker side must be vigilant, discerning, and strategic rather than naïvely trusting in fairness.
Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the danger posed by an opponent who is firmly in authority, well-supported, and financially strong, while his own side is deprived, unsupported, and without resources. He concludes that such an adversary can, through various calculated measures, potentially engineer their destruction.