Shloka 33
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा—व्यासोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and Vyāsa’s Counsel
अधर्मो धर्मतां याति स्वामी चेद् धार्मिको भवेत् | स्वामिनो गुणदोषाभ्यां भृत्या: स्युर्नात्र संशय:,यदि स्वामी धार्मिक हो तो अधर्मी सेवक भी धार्मिक बन जाते हैं। सेवक स्वामीके ही गुण-दोषोंसे युक्त होते हैं, इसमें संशय नहीं है
adharmo dharmatāṁ yāti svāmī ced dhārmiko bhavet | svāmino guṇadoṣābhyāṁ bhṛtyāḥ syur nātra saṁśayaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: When the master becomes righteous, even unrighteousness turns toward righteousness. Servants inevitably take on the virtues and faults of their lord—of this there is no doubt. The verse underscores moral contagion in leadership: the ethical quality of those in authority shapes the conduct of those who depend on them.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The moral character of a leader powerfully shapes the behavior of dependents: a righteous master draws even the unrighteous toward dharma, while a flawed master transmits faults. The verse stresses accountability at the top and the imitative nature of social conduct.
In the Strī Parva’s reflective, grief-filled aftermath of the war, Vyāsa offers ethical instruction. He generalizes from human experience to explain how virtue and vice spread through hierarchy—servants and followers tend to mirror the qualities of those they serve.