Shloka 1
Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma
ऑपन-- माल बक। अकाल द्वात्रिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: ब्राह्मणों और श्रेष्ठ राजाओंके धर्मका वर्णन तथा धर्मकी गतिको सूक्ष्म बताना युधिछिर उवाच हीने परमके धर्मे सर्वलोकाभिसंहिते । सर्वस्मिन् दस्युसादूभूते पृथिव्यामुपजीवने
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | hīne parame dharme sarvalokābhisaṃhite | sarvasmin dasyusādūbhūte pṛthivyām upajīvane ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Kakek Agung, ketika dharma tertinggi seorang raja—yang bertumpu pada perlindungan semua rakyat—gagal ditegakkan, dan di seluruh bumi sarana penghidupan jatuh ke tangan para perampok, maka pada masa krisis yang paling mengerikan ini, bila seorang brāhmaṇa karena belas kasih tak sanggup meninggalkan putra dan cucunya, dengan cara hidup apakah ia harus mempertahankan nyawanya?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an āpaddharma problem: when royal protection collapses and society is dominated by predation, even a brāhmaṇa devoted to non-harm and family responsibility must ask what ethically permissible livelihood remains. It sets up Bhīṣma’s guidance on dharma’s subtlety under extreme conditions.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma about dharma after the war. Here he presents a scenario of social breakdown—robbers controlling livelihoods—and asks what a compassionate brāhmaṇa should do to survive without abandoning dependent children and grandchildren.