Shloka 43
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
तवाद्य पृथिवी सर्वा क्षेमा निहतकण्टका । तां प्रशाधि महाराज स्वधर्ममनुपालय
tvādya pṛthivī sarvā kṣemā nihatakaṇṭakā | tāṃ praśādhi mahārāja svadharmam anupālaya ||
“Wahai Maharaja! Hari ini seluruh bumi menjadi milikmu; duri-durinya telah disingkirkan—sumber-sumber bahaya telah ditumpas—maka negeri ini menjadi tenteram. Karena itu, perintahlah dan tegakkanlah svadharma-mu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames kingship as a moral obligation: once obstacles and threats are removed, the ruler must establish orderly governance and uphold svadharma—duty-bound, ethical rule aimed at security and welfare.
Sanjaya addresses the king, reporting that the realm is now ‘thornless’—its adversaries and disruptive forces have been eliminated—urging him to take up the task of ruling and maintaining dharma in the new political reality after the conflict.