Shloka 14
Rājasūya-sambhāra: Prosperity under Rājadharma and the Initiation of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Sacrifice
विजिग्ये पुरुषव्यात्रो नातितीव्रेण कर्मणा । शकांश्व॒ बर्बरांश्नेव अजयच्छझञझपूर्वकम्
vaizampāyana uvāca |
vijigye puruṣavyāghro nātitīvreṇa karmaṇā |
śakāṃś ca barbarāṃś caiva ajayac chalapūrvakam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Sang harimau di antara manusia meraih kemenangan tanpa pengerahan yang terlampau keras; namun ia menundukkan Śaka dan Barbara dengan siasat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts restrained exertion with strategic conquest: a capable ruler/hero need not always rely on extreme violence; sometimes victory is pursued through policy and stratagem, raising ethical questions about when such means are acceptable within rajadharma.
Vaiśampāyana reports that the hero (called ‘puruṣavyāghra’) achieved conquests—some without excessive force, but in the case of the Śakas and Barbaras specifically, he secured victory through stratagem (chala).