Shloka 48
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
क्षत्रिय: क्षत्रियं हन्ति मत्स्यो मत्स्येन जीवति । थवा श्वानं हन्ति दाशार्ह पश्य धर्मो यथागत:
kṣatriyaḥ kṣatriyaṃ hanti matsyo matsyena jīvati | athavā śvānaṃ hanti dāśārha paśya dharmo yathāgataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Seorang kṣatriya membunuh kṣatriya; seekor ikan hidup dengan memakan ikan lain; demikian pula anjing melukai anjing. Wahai Dāśārha, lihatlah—beginilah dharma yang turun-temurun berlaku di dunia.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames violence among equals (kṣatriya vs. kṣatriya) as a socially inherited norm, illustrated through natural analogies (fish and dogs). It highlights a descriptive, tradition-based view of dharma—what is commonly practiced and accepted—rather than an idealized, nonviolent ethic.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa (Dāśārha), reflecting on the harsh realities of worldly conduct and warrior duty. He points to customary patterns of conflict to contextualize the impending confrontation and the inherited code governing kṣatriyas.