Shloka 25
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
एतामवस्थां प्राप्यैके मरणं वव्रिरे जना: । ग्रामायैके वनायैके नाशायैके प्रवव्रजु:
etām avasthāṁ prāpyaike maraṇaṁ vavrirē janāḥ | grāmāyaike vanāyaike nāśāyaike pravavrajuḥ ||
Terjatuh ke dalam keadaan papa seperti itu, sebagian orang memilih mati. Sebagian meninggalkan desanya dan menetap di tempat lain; sebagian menyingkir ke hutan; dan sebagian lagi, mencari kebinasaan diri, pergi dari rumah seakan hendak melepaskan nyawa.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extreme hardship can drive people toward self-destruction or flight, implying an ethical responsibility for rulers and society to prevent conditions that crush human dignity and push individuals into despair.
Yudhiṣṭhira describes the human consequences of a dire condition: some choose death, some migrate from their village, some retreat to the forest, and some leave home with the intention of perishing—underscoring the severity of the crisis being discussed.