Shloka 21
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
सुमन्त्रिते सुनीते च सर्वतश्नोपपादिते । पौरुषे कर्मणि कृते नास्त्यधर्मो युधिष्ठिर,'युधिष्ठिर! अच्छी तरह मन्त्रणा की गयी हो, सुन्दर नीतिसे काम लिया गया हो और सब ओरसे पुरुषार्थपूर्वक प्रयत्न किये गये हों (उस अवस्थामें यदि प्रजाको कोई कष्ट हो जाय) तो राजाको उसका पाप नहीं लगता
sumantrite sunīte ca sarvataś copapādite | pauruṣe karmaṇi kṛte nāsty adharmo yudhiṣṭhira ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Oh Yudhiṣṭhira, cuando el consejo ha sido bien deliberado, la política se ha aplicado rectamente y se ha hecho por todas partes todo esfuerzo fundado en la iniciativa humana, entonces—aunque alguna penuria alcance al pueblo—no se le imputa adharma alguno al rey.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler is morally accountable for negligence and wrongful intent, but not for unavoidable suffering that occurs despite thorough deliberation, sound policy, and complete, sincere effort. Proper process—good counsel (mantra), right policy (nīti), and full exertion (pauruṣa)—protects the king from the charge of adharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and dharma, Vaiśampāyana addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, explaining a principle of royal responsibility: when governance has been conducted with careful counsel and proper measures, incidental distress among the people does not automatically make the king blameworthy.