Shloka 17
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
अबलं वै बलाच्छेयो यच्चातिबलवद्धलम् । बलस्याबलदग्धस्य न किंचिदवशिष्यते
abalaṃ vai balāc chreyo yac cātibalavad dhalaṃ | balasyābaladagdhasya na kiṃcid avaśiṣyate ||
“Yang lemah sesungguhnya lebih unggul daripada yang kuat; sebab yang teramat kuat pun dapat ditundukkan oleh daya yang bangkit dari kelemahan. Bila yang kuat ‘terbakar’ oleh yang lemah, tak tersisa apa pun dari kekuatannya.”
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Physical might is not the final measure of superiority. The ‘weak’—through humility, patience, self-control, or intelligent strategy—can neutralize and even destroy the advantage of the ‘strong,’ especially when the strong relies on pride and coercion.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Utathya delivers a pointed maxim: do not dismiss the powerless, because the dynamics of dharma, prudence, and inner strength can overturn brute force, leaving the proud strong with nothing.