Shloka 9
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement
तत्तु शक््यं महाराज रक्षितुं पाण्डुनन्दन । राज्यं धर्मेण कौन्तेय विद्वानसि निबोध तत्,“महाराज पाण्डुनन्दन! कुन्तीकुमार! राज्यकी रक्षा धर्मसे ही हो सकती है। इस बातको तुम स्वयं भी जानते हो तथापि मुझसे भी सुनो
tat tu śakyaṃ mahārāja rakṣituṃ pāṇḍu-nandana | rājyaṃ dharmeṇa kaunteya vidvān asi nibodha tat ||
Wahai Maharaja, wahai kebanggaan Pāṇḍu, wahai putra Kuntī—kerajaan ini sungguh hanya dapat dilindungi melalui dharma. Engkau bijaksana dan telah mengetahuinya; namun tetaplah dengarkan dariku dan tanamkan dalam hati.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that the stability and protection of a kingdom depend primarily on dharma—righteous, lawful, and ethical governance—rather than mere power or strategy.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and a Pāṇḍava (Kaunteya/Pāṇḍunandana), emphasizing that although the listener is already wise, he should still heed a formal instruction on how rule is safeguarded—through dharma.