Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
स तदा5>त्मापराधेन सम्प्राप्तो व्यसनं महत् | सेन्द्रान् गर्हयते देवान् नात्मानं च कथठ्चन
sa tadā ātma-aparādhenā samprāpto vyasanaṁ mahat | sa-indrān garhayate devān na ātmānaṁ ca kathaṁcana ||
युधिष्ठिर बोले— यद्यपि वह मनुष्य उस समय अपने ही अपराध से भारी संकट में पड़ता है, तथापि वह इसके लिए इन्द्र आदि देवताओं की निन्दा करता है; अपने को किसी प्रकार भी दोष नहीं देता।
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse teaches moral accountability: even when suffering is caused by one’s own wrongdoing, people often externalize blame onto divine powers; dharma requires honest self-examination and acceptance of responsibility.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on human conduct and ethics, criticizing the tendency to fault Indra and the gods for misfortunes that actually arise from one’s own errors.