Shloka 16
Āśvamedhika-parva Adhyāya 1 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament by the Gaṅgā and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel
अथ नेच्छसि राजानं कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । मेढीभूत: स्वयं राज्यं प्रतिगृह्नीष्व पार्थिव,“नरेश्वर! यदि आप कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिरको राजा बनाना नहीं चाहते तो स्वयं ही मेठ बनकर सारे राज्यका भार स्वयं ही लिये रहिये
atha necchasi rājānaṃ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | meḍhībhūtaḥ svayaṃ rājyaṃ pratigṛhṇīṣva pārthiva ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: «Si no deseas que Yudhiṣṭhira, hijo de Kuntī, sea entronizado como rey, entonces tú mismo—hecho el pilar central que soporta el yugo—acepta el reino y carga con su peso. Oh soberano de los hombres, asume tú la responsabilidad».
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rule is inseparable from responsibility: if one refuses to support the rightful king, one must be prepared to shoulder the full burden of governance oneself. The verse frames kingship as a moral duty rather than a privilege.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a ruler, pressing a practical and ethical choice: either accept Yudhiṣṭhira (Kuntī’s son) as king, or personally take up the weight of the kingdom—like a central post that bears the yoke—rather than leaving authority unresolved.