Shloka 35
अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira
यद् विशस्ता: कुरुश्रेष्ठ राजानश्न॒ सहस्रश:
yad viśastāḥ kuruśreṣṭha rājānaḥ sahasraśaḥ
Ô le meilleur des Kuru ! Ces rois—illustres et célébrés—étaient présents par milliers ; le récit rappelle la vaste assemblée de souverains dont la renommée et la puissance terrestre, si grandes fussent-elles, demeuraient soumises au temps, au devoir (dharma) et aux conséquences morales de leurs actes.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the scale of worldly power and fame—kings in their thousands—while implicitly pointing to the Mahābhārata’s ethical reminder that renown and sovereignty are transient and must be governed by dharma, since actions and their results outlast status.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a Kuru descendant as he continues describing a large gathering or enumeration of rulers: many celebrated kings are being recalled as part of the unfolding account in Āśramavāsika Parva.