Shanti Parva Adhyaya 132 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Hindi | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

Bala and Dharma in Kṣatriya Governance (बल-धर्म सम्बन्धः)

Devanagari script

ऑपन-माजल छा अ<-छकऋाज (आपडद्धर्मपर्व) एकत्रिशदधिकशततमो< ध्याय: आप्त्तिग्रस्त राजाके कर्तव्यका वर्णन युधिछिर उवाच क्षीणस्य दीर्घसूत्रस्य सानुक्रोशस्य बन्धुषु । परिशड्किततवृत्तस्य श्रुतमन्त्रस्य भारत

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kṣīṇasya dīrghasūtrasya sānukrośasya bandhuṣu | pariśaṅkitavṛttasya śrutamantrasya bhārata ||

Translation

युधिष्ठिर बोले— हे भारत! जिस राजा की शक्ति और साधन क्षीण हो गए हों, जो टालमटोल करने वाला हो, जो अपने बन्धु-बान्धवों पर अत्यधिक करुणा के कारण उनके विनाश की आशंका से उन्हें साथ लेकर शत्रु का सामना न कर सके; जिसके आचरण पर संदेह किया जाता हो (या जो अपने मन्त्रियों के आचरण पर संदेह करता हो); और जिसकी मन्त्रणा सुन ली गई हो तथा गुप्त न रही हो—वह आपत्ति से दबा और मन से विचलित होकर अब कौन-सा उपाय करे? इस संकट से मुक्त होने के लिए उसे क्या करना चाहिए?

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

उवाचsaid

क्षीणस्यof one who is diminished/exhausted

दीर्घसूत्रस्यof one who is procrastinating/slow in action

सानुक्रोशस्यof one who is compassionate

बन्धुषुamong/with kinsmen

परिशङ्कितवृत्तस्यof one whose conduct is suspected

श्रुतमन्त्रस्यof one whose counsel/secret has been overheard

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhārata (address/title)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a rāja-dharma problem: when a ruler is weakened materially and psychologically, divided by misplaced compassion, and compromised by distrust and leaked strategy, he must seek a disciplined, realistic remedy—restoring secrecy, decisive action, reliable counsel, and protective measures—rather than drifting in delay and fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions the elder authority (addressed as ‘Bhārata’) about what a distressed king should do when his power is depleted, his decision-making is delayed, his inner circle is unreliable or suspected, and his strategic counsel has been exposed—setting up Bhīṣma’s instruction on conduct in political calamity.