Shloka 13
अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः
Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode
न तु बालानिमान् दीनानुत्सहे वसु याचितुम् । तथैवार्द््रणान् कृच्छे वर्तमानान् नृपात्मजान्,यहाँ जो राजकुमार उपस्थित हैं, ये सब-के-सब बालक और दीन हैं, महान् संकटमें पड़े हुए हैं और इनके शरीरका घाव भी अभी सूखने नहीं पाया है; अतः इन सबसे मैं धनकी याचना नहीं कर सकता
na tu bālān imān dīnān utsahe vasu yācitum | tathaivārdrān kṛcchre vartamānān nṛpātmajān ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: «Pero no puedo obligarme a pedir riqueza a estos muchachos que están aquí: son pobres y aún tiernos de edad. Se hallan en dura aflicción, y sus heridas no se han secado todavía. Por ello, no puedo solicitar dinero a estos príncipes».
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a righteous goal requires resources, one should not obtain them by burdening the vulnerable. Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharma here is compassion and restraint: he refuses to seek wealth from young, distressed princes whose wounds are still fresh.
In the Ashvamedhika Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira is concerned with arranging what is needed for royal duties, yet he sees the princes present as children suffering hardship and recent injuries. Because of their condition, he declines to ask them for money.