Shloka 21
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
एते चान्ये च बहवो राजानो राजसत्तम । मदर्थमुद्यता: सर्वे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च
ete cānye ca bahavo rājāno rājasattama | madartham udyatāḥ sarve prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca ||
“And these, along with many other kings, O best of kings, have all risen up for my sake—ready to abandon even their lives and their wealth.”
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the gravity of leadership and allegiance: political commitments can demand extreme sacrifice, and a leader’s cause can draw followers to risk both life and wealth—raising ethical questions about responsibility for those who fight ‘for my sake.’
The speaker addresses a ‘best of kings’ and points to the assembled rulers, emphasizing that many kings—along with others—stand prepared for action on the speaker’s behalf, even at the cost of their lives and riches.