Shloka 1
अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः
Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode
/ (दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके २ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल २२ श्लोक हैं) ऑपनआक्राता बछ। अकाल तृतीयो<थध्याय: व्यासजीका युधिष्ठटिरको अश्वमेध यज्ञके लिये धनकी प्राप्तिका उपाय हक संवर्त और मरुत्तका प्रसंग करना व्यास उवाच युधिष्ठिर तव प्रज्ञा न सम्यगिति मे मति: । न हि वक्रित्स्वयं मर्त्य: स्ववश: कुरुते क्रियाम्,व्यासजीने कहा--युधिष्ठिर! मुझे तो ऐसा जान पड़ता है कि तुम्हारी बुद्धि ठीक नहीं है। कोई भी मनुष्य स्वाधीन होकर अपने-आप कोई काम नहीं करता है
vyāsa uvāca | yudhiṣṭhira tava prajñā na samyag iti me matiḥ | na hi vakrīt svayaṃ martyaḥ svavaśaḥ kurute kriyām ||
Vyāsa said: “Yudhiṣṭhira, it seems to me that your understanding is not fully aligned. For no mortal, acting entirely by himself and under his own control, truly performs an action; deeds arise under forces beyond mere personal will.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vyāsa challenges Yudhiṣṭhira’s assumption of full personal control: human action is not purely self-willed; it is conditioned by larger forces (dharma, circumstance, destiny, past karma), so ethical judgment must account for those constraints.
At the opening of this chapter in the Aśvamedhika section, Vyāsa begins advising Yudhiṣṭhira, correcting his outlook as the king considers how to proceed (contextually tied to preparations and counsel connected with the Aśvamedha and its requirements).