Shloka 1
Haṃsa–Sādhya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dama, Kṣamā and the Discipline of Speech
अड-#-रू- अष्टाशीत्याधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: अरिषप्टनेमिका राजा सगरको वैराग्योत्पादक मोक्षविषयक उपदेश युधिछिर उवाच कथं नु युक्त: पृथिवीं चरेदस्मद्विधो नृप: । नित्यं कैश्व गुणैर्युक्त: संगपाशाद् विमुच्यते
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kathaṁ nu yuktaḥ pṛthivīṁ cared asmad-vidho nṛpaḥ? nityaṁ kaiś ca guṇair yuktaḥ saṅga-pāśād vimucyate?
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Bagaimanakah seorang raja sepertiku harus hidup dan berkelana di bumi—disiplin dan laku apa yang patut dipegang? Dan dengan kebajikan apa, yang senantiasa dipupuk, ia dapat terlepas dari jerat keterikatan?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the ethical problem of rulership: a king must govern and act in the world, yet seek freedom from binding attachment. It introduces the ideal of disciplined action supported by steady virtues, so that power and responsibility do not become a cause of bondage.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance after the war, asks an elder teacher how a ruler like himself should conduct his life and what qualities enable liberation from attachment while still performing royal duties.