अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira
समर्थास्त्रिदिवस्यापि पालने किं पुन: क्षिते: । “आप जो हमारी देख-रेख करनेके लिये हमें पाण्डवोंको सौंप रहे हैं
samarthās tridivasya api pālane kiṁ punaḥ kṣiteḥ |
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ils sont capables de gouverner jusqu’au royaume des dieux ; à plus forte raison, la terre. Dès lors, l’idée qu’il faille les “remettre” à quelqu’un pour les surveiller est vaine.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
True authority rests on proven capability and dharmic fitness, not on external guardianship or patronage. The verse praises the Pāṇḍavas’ competence, implying that leadership should be entrusted to those who can sustain order and welfare—even under the highest standards.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a speaker underscores that assigning the Pāṇḍavas to someone’s ‘care’ is unnecessary. The statement functions as a rhetorical commendation: if they can maintain even heaven, governing the earth is certainly within their power.