Shloka 7
आपद्-राजनीतिः (Āpad-rājanīti) — Policy Options in Multi-Front Crisis
राजोवाच आशाया: किं कृशत्वं च कि चेह भुवि दुर्लभम् । ब्रवीतु भगवानेतत् त्वं हि धर्मार्थदर्शिवान्
rājovāca— āśāyāḥ kiṁ kṛśatvaṁ ca kiṁ ceha bhuvi durlabham | bravītu bhagavān etat tvaṁ hi dharmārthadarśivān ||
Le roi dit : « Ô le meilleur des brahmanes, puisque tu vois avec justesse le dharma et l’artha, daigne me dire ceci : quelle faiblesse est plus grande que l’espérance (le désir qui attend) ? Et, sur cette terre, qu’est-ce qui est le plus rare à obtenir ? »
ऋषभ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: uncontrolled hope or expectation (āśā) is treated as a profound inner weakness because it binds the mind to outcomes. The king seeks guidance on mastering desire and understanding what is truly rare—implying that genuine virtue, contentment, or right discernment may be rarer than material gains.
In a didactic dialogue of the Śānti Parva, the king respectfully questions a revered sage, acknowledging his insight into both dharma and artha. He asks two pointed questions—about the greatest frailty (linked to hope/desire) and about what is most difficult to obtain in the world—inviting a moral-philosophical response.