Shloka 15
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
“हम सबके आचार्य भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोणाचार्य और कृपाचार्य ये दोनों ब्राह्मणकुलके श्रेष्ठ पुरुष हैं। ये दोनों भी इस प्रश्नपर अपने विचार क्यों नहीं प्रकट करते? ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
asmākaṁ sarveṣām ācāryau bharadvājanandana-droṇācāryaḥ kṛpācāryaś ca—etau dvau brāhmaṇakulasyottamau puruṣau | etāv api kasmād asmin praśne svamatam na prakāśayataḥ ||
ye tv anye pṛthivīpālāḥ sametāḥ sarvato diśaḥ | kāma-krodhau samutsṛjya te bruvantu yathāmati ||
“Guru kita semua—Droṇa putra Bhāradvāja dan Kṛpa—keduanya adalah yang terkemuka di kalangan brahmana; mengapa mereka pun tidak menyatakan putusan atas pertanyaan ini? Hendaklah para raja lain yang telah berkumpul di sini dari segala penjuru, menanggalkan nafsu dan amarah, lalu berbicara menurut kebijaksanaan masing-masing.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A judgment on a contentious issue should be offered without being driven by kāma (self-interested desire) or krodha (anger). The verse frames ethical deliberation as requiring restraint and impartiality, especially in a public assembly.
In the royal assembly, the speaker points out that eminent teachers Droṇa and Kṛpa have not voiced their view on the question at hand, and then calls upon the other assembled kings—arrived from all directions—to speak their opinions after abandoning personal passions.