Shloka 19
Ālasyadoṣa-nirdeśa (On the Fault of Negligence) — The Camel’s Long-Neck Exemplum
राज्यं तिष्ठति दक्षस्य संगृहीतेन्द्रियस्य च । आर्तस्य बुद्धिमूलं हि विजयं मनुरब्रवीत्
rājyaṃ tiṣṭhati dakṣasya saṅgṛhītendriyasya ca | ārtasya buddhimūlaṃ hi vijayaṃ manur abravīt ||
Kerajaan akan tegak pada penguasa yang cakap bertindak dan mengekang indria. Manu menyatakan bahwa bagi raja yang terhimpit kesukaran, akar kemenangan adalah kekuatan dan kejernihan budi.
उड्ड उवाच
Educational Q&A
Political stability depends on two royal virtues: practical competence (dakṣatā) and restraint of the senses (jitendriyatā). In times of crisis, victory is not primarily rooted in force or fortune but in buddhi—clear judgment, strategy, and disciplined decision-making.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Uḍḍa cites an authoritative maxim attributed to Manu to counsel how a king should secure and preserve rule: by self-mastery and intelligent governance, especially when facing adversity.