Shloka 296
Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Saṃvāda in Indraprastha: Consolation, Legitimation, and Leave for Dvārakā (आश्वमेधिकपर्व, अध्याय १५)
चिता रल्नैर्बहुविधे: कुरुराजस्य पाण्डव । तात! पाण्डुनन्दन! नाना प्रकारके रत्नोंके संचयसे सम्पन्न, समुद्रसे घिरी हुई, पर्वत, वन और काननोंसहित यह सारी पृथ्वी भी बुद्धिमान् धर्मपुत्र कुरुराज युधिष्ठिरके अधीन हो गयी
citā ratnair bahuvidhaiḥ kururājasya pāṇḍava | tāta pāṇḍunandana nānāprakārakai ratnānāṃ sañcayena sampannā samudreṇa ghṛtā parvata-vana-kānana-sahitā iyaṃ sarvā pṛthivī api buddhimān dharmaputraḥ kururājaḥ yudhiṣṭhirasya adhīnā abhavat |
Vāyu said: “O Pāṇḍava, dear child—O son of Pāṇḍu! This entire earth, rich with accumulations of many kinds of jewels, encircled by the ocean, and furnished with mountains, forests, and groves, has come under the authority of the wise Dharmaputra, the Kuru-king Yudhiṣṭhira.” The statement underscores the ethical ideal that rightful sovereignty is grounded in wisdom and dharma, not merely in conquest or wealth.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True rulership is validated by dharma and wisdom: even vast wealth and the whole earth are portrayed as properly belonging under the authority of a righteous king like Yudhiṣṭhira, emphasizing ethical legitimacy over mere power.
Vāyudeva addresses a Pāṇḍava and declares that the entire jewel-rich, ocean-girdled earth—complete with mountains and forests—has come under the dominion of Yudhiṣṭhira, praising his rightful Kuru kingship.