Shloka 1
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
ऑपन--माज बछ। ्:॑॑ि अष्टात्रिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: शत्रुओंसे घिरे हुए राजाके कर्तव्यके विषयमें बिडाल और चूहेका आख्यान युधिछिर उवाच सर्वत्र बुद्धि: कथिता श्रेष्ठा ते भरतर्षभ । अनागता तथोत्पन्ना दीर्घसूत्रा विनाशिनी
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | sarvatra buddhiḥ kathitā śreṣṭhā te bharatarṣabha | anāgatā tathotpannā dīrghasūtrā vināśinī ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : « Ô le meilleur des Bhārata, tu as déclaré qu’en toute situation, l’intelligence la plus haute est de deux sortes : la prévoyance qui se prépare avant que le danger n’arrive, et la présence d’esprit qui imagine la protection lorsque le danger est déjà survenu. Mais l’intelligence qui remet à plus tard—retardant l’action par paresse—mène à la ruine. »
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective judgment for a ruler (and for anyone) has two strengths: (1) foresight that prepares before trouble arrives (anāgatā buddhi), and (2) presence of mind that responds skillfully when trouble has already arisen (utpannā buddhi). Procrastination (dīrghasūtratā) is condemned as ruinous because it wastes the decisive moment.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma, summarizing Bhīṣma’s teaching about the kinds of intelligence needed in governance—especially when a king is threatened by enemies—and contrasting them with the destructive habit of delaying action.