Shloka 22
Draupadī’s Lament and the Question of Kṣatriya Forbearance (द्रौपद्याः शोकप्रलापः क्षमानिर्णयश्च)
यस्मादुद्धिजते लोक: कथं तस्य भवो भवेत् | अन्तरं तस्य दृष्टवैव लोको विकुरुते ध्रुवम्,जिससे सब लोग उद्विग्न होते हैं, उसे ऐश्वर्यकी प्राप्ति कैसे हो सकती है? उसका थोड़ा-सा भी छिद्र देखकर लोग निश्चय ही उसकी बुराई करने लगते हैं
yasmād udvijate lokaḥ kathaṁ tasya bhavo bhavet | antaraṁ tasya dṛṣṭvaiva loko vikurute dhruvam ||
Dijo Prahlāda: «Si el mundo se inquieta y se turba a causa de alguien, ¿cómo podría esa persona alcanzar la verdadera prosperidad? En efecto, en cuanto la gente advierte en él la más mínima falla, inevitablemente se entrega a buscarle defectos y a hablar mal de él».
प्रह्माद उवाच
Educational Q&A
One who causes fear or distress to society cannot expect lasting prosperity; even a small moral weakness becomes a doorway for public censure. The verse stresses that welfare and authority must rest on conduct that reassures and benefits others.
Prahlāda is offering counsel in a didactic context, reflecting on how public response follows a person’s behavior: if people feel threatened, they scrutinize and criticize, and the person’s standing and success are undermined.