Shloka 14
मरुत्तोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः — Genealogy to Marutta and the Logistics of Royal Sacrifice
न चैनमभिहन्तुं ते शकनुवन्ति बलक्षये | सम्यग्वृत्तो हि राजा स धर्मनित्यो युधिष्ठिर,युधिष्ठिर! सेना और खजाना नष्ट हो जानेपर भी वे आक्रमणकारी शत्रु सुवर्चाका वध न कर सके; क्योंकि वे राजा नित्यधर्मपरायण और सदाचारी थे
na cainam abhihantuṃ te śakanuvanti balakṣaye | samyagvṛtto hi rājā sa dharmanityo yudhiṣṭhira ||
Vyāsa said: Even when their strength was exhausted, those assailant enemies were unable to slay him. For that king was truly of upright conduct and steadfast in dharma, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethic that steadfast dharma and upright conduct confer a kind of inviolability: moral integrity becomes a source of strength that can thwart even hostile force when ordinary power wanes.
Vyāsa addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, describing a situation where attackers, despite the depletion of their military strength, fail to kill a certain king—because that king is consistently devoted to dharma and exemplary in conduct.