Shloka 13
Bṛhaspati’s Counsel on Contentment
Santoṣa), Restraint, and Adroha (Non-injury
तस्मादेतत् प्रयत्नेन कौन्तेय प्रतिपालय । यो हि राज्ये स्थित: शश्वद् वशी तुल्यप्रियाप्रिय:
tasmādetat prayatnena kaunteya pratipālaya | yo hi rājye sthitaḥ śaśvad vaśī tulyapriyāpriyaḥ ||
Ainsi donc, ô fils de Kuntī, veille à cela et soutiens-le avec un effort sincère. Car celui qui se tient dans la royauté doit toujours se maîtriser, demeurant égal d’âme devant l’agréable et le désagréable—et protéger le royaume par une impartialité disciplinée.
देवस्थान उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must consciously uphold dharma through steady self-mastery: remaining impartial toward pleasure and displeasure prevents favoritism, anger, and rash punishment, thereby safeguarding the kingdom.
Devastāna addresses Kaunteya with a direct injunction: to preserve the stated principle by effort, emphasizing that one established in royal power should be continually self-controlled and even-minded in the face of agreeable and disagreeable circumstances.