Shloka 5
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
पितृवत्तेषु चाह:सु पुत्राणां श्राद्धकर्मणि
pitṛvat teṣu cāhaḥsu putrāṇāṃ śrāddhakarmaṇi, viparītakaśna me śatrur niyamyāśna bhavennaraḥ |
वैशम्पायन बोले—“पुत्रों के श्राद्धकर्म के उन दिनों में मनुष्य को पितृवत् (बड़ों को पिता समान मानकर) संयम से भोजन करना चाहिए। जो इसके विपरीत आचरण करता है, वह मेरा शत्रु है; और जो संयम व अनुशासन में रहता है, वही योग्य पुरुष है।”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharma expressed as reverence to elders (pitṛvat), disciplined conduct (niyamya), and social-ethical order: honoring rightful authority and acting with restraint—especially in contexts like śrāddha—marks a person as righteous, while contrary conduct is treated as hostility to dharma and governance.
Vaiśampāyana frames Yudhiṣṭhira’s compassionate rule: he instructs his brothers and ministers to treat Dhṛtarāṣṭra as a venerable elder and to follow his directives; those who comply are counted as friends, while those who oppose are regarded as enemies liable to punishment.