Shloka 10
Daṇḍa, Ahiṃsā, and Proportional Kingship: The Dyumatsena–Satyavān Dialogue (दण्ड-अहिंसा-विवेकः)
ते चेत् सर्वप्रमाणं वै प्रमाणं ह्ृत्र विद्यते । प्रमाणे5प्यप्रमाणेन विरुद्धे शास्त्रता कुत:
te cet sarva-pramāṇaṃ vai pramāṇaṃ hy atra vidyate | pramāṇe 'py apramāṇena viruddhe śāstratā kutaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Si le Veda est véritablement la mesure universelle du savoir valide, alors lui seul fait autorité ici. Mais lorsque même cette autorité est contredite par ce qui est tenu pour non-autorité, comment quoi que ce soit pourrait-il garder le statut de “śāstra” ? Et si une Smṛti contredit la Śruti, sur quel fondement peut-on encore l’appeler Écriture ?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues that scriptural authority depends on consistency with the highest accepted pramāṇa (Śruti/Veda). If a text or rule (such as Smṛti) contradicts Śruti, its claim to be ‘śāstra’ becomes untenable.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Yudhiṣṭhira presses a critical question about how to determine true dharma when different authorities appear to conflict, challenging the basis on which secondary texts can remain authoritative.