Shloka 12
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
सुयोधनमते तिष्ठन् राजास्मासु जनार्दन । मिथ्या चरति लुब्ध: सन् चरन् हि प्रियमात्मन:
suyodhanamate tiṣṭhan rājāsmāsu janārdana | mithyā carati lubdhaḥ san caran hi priyam ātmanaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Janārdana, sang raja berdiri pada nasihat Suyodhana dan berlaku dusta terhadap kami. Didorong ketamakan, ia hanya mengikuti apa yang menyenangkan dirinya—mengiyakan kehendak Duryodhana, bukan menegakkan kebenaran dan tata laku yang benar.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler who abandons truth and dharma to follow partisan counsel and personal desire becomes ethically compromised; greed and self-interest distort judgment and lead to unjust conduct.
Yudhiṣṭhira laments to Kṛṣṇa that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, influenced by Duryodhana’s stance, is dealing deceitfully with the Pāṇḍavas—prioritizing what pleases himself and his son over fair settlement.