Shloka 19
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
राज्यं तिष्ठति दक्षस्य संगृहीतेन्द्रियस्य च । आर्तस्य बुद्धिमूलं हि विजयं मनुरब्रवीत्
rājyaṃ tiṣṭhati dakṣasya saṅgṛhītendriyasya ca | ārtasya buddhimūlaṃ hi vijayaṃ manur abravīt ||
Un royaume demeure stable lorsque son souverain est compétent dans l’action et tient ses sens sous contrôle. Manu a déclaré que, pour un roi pressé par l’adversité, la racine même de la victoire est la force et la clarté de l’intellect.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
Political stability depends on two royal virtues: practical competence (dakṣatā) and restraint of the senses (jitendriyatā). In times of crisis, victory is not primarily rooted in force or fortune but in buddhi—clear judgment, strategy, and disciplined decision-making.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Uḍḍa cites an authoritative maxim attributed to Manu to counsel how a king should secure and preserve rule: by self-mastery and intelligent governance, especially when facing adversity.