Shloka 1
Bala and Dharma in Kṣatriya Governance (बल-धर्म सम्बन्धः)
ऑपन-माजल छा अ<-छकऋाज (आपडद्धर्मपर्व) एकत्रिशदधिकशततमो< ध्याय: आप्त्तिग्रस्त राजाके कर्तव्यका वर्णन युधिछिर उवाच क्षीणस्य दीर्घसूत्रस्य सानुक्रोशस्य बन्धुषु । परिशड्किततवृत्तस्य श्रुतमन्त्रस्य भारत
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kṣīṇasya dīrghasūtrasya sānukrośasya bandhuṣu | pariśaṅkitavṛttasya śrutamantrasya bhārata ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, jalan apakah yang masih tersisa bagi seorang raja yang telah terkuras kekuatan dan sumber dayanya; yang gemar menunda-nunda; yang karena belas kasih berlebihan kepada sanak-kerabatnya tidak sanggup membawa mereka menghadapi musuh, sebab takut mereka binasa; yang tingkah lakunya dicurigai (atau ia sendiri mencurigai tingkah laku para menterinya); dan yang musyawarahnya telah terdengar sehingga tak lagi rahasia? Bila penguasa demikian telah terhimpit malapetaka dan batinnya terguncang, apa yang harus ia lakukan agar terbebas dari krisis ini?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a rāja-dharma problem: when a ruler is weakened materially and psychologically, divided by misplaced compassion, and compromised by distrust and leaked strategy, he must seek a disciplined, realistic remedy—restoring secrecy, decisive action, reliable counsel, and protective measures—rather than drifting in delay and fear.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions the elder authority (addressed as ‘Bhārata’) about what a distressed king should do when his power is depleted, his decision-making is delayed, his inner circle is unreliable or suspected, and his strategic counsel has been exposed—setting up Bhīṣma’s instruction on conduct in political calamity.