Shloka 19
मूर्थ्नि स्थितममित्राणां जीवतामेव संजय । दत्ता दाया यथाशक्ति मित्राणां च प्रियं कृतम्
mūrdhni sthitam amitrāṇāṃ jīvatām eva saṃjaya | dattā dāyā yathāśakti mitrāṇāṃ ca priyaṃ kṛtam ||
Sanjaya berkata: “Wahai Sanjaya, selagi musuh-musuh itu masih hidup, aku berdiri di atas mereka dalam penguasaan; aku membagikan bagian dan anugerah menurut kemampuanku, dan juga melakukan hal-hal yang menyenangkan sahabat-sahabatku.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes worldly dominance over foes with social-ethical duties: even amid conflict, one should distribute resources fairly within one’s means and maintain loyalty by doing what benefits friends and allies.
In Sañjaya’s narration, a speaker reflects on having held a position of superiority over enemies while they yet lived, and on having allotted portions/gifts as far as possible, while also acting to please and support friends—summarizing conduct in power during wartime.