Shloka 15
Vyāsa’s Consolation to Yudhiṣṭhira: Tapas, Kāla, and the Difficulty of Dāna (दान-तपस्-विवेकः)
तेनैकेन यथा5<दिष्टं तथा वर्ताम भारत । न शास्ता विद्यते5स्माकमन्यस्तस्मात् सुरेश्वरात्,“तात! हम भूमण्डलमें केवल एक व्यक्तिकी ही आज्ञाका पालन करते हैं। भारत! जिनके शासनको शिरोधार्य करके हम निश्चिन्त हो सर्वत्र विचरते हैं। हमारे उन्हीं एकमात्र स्वामीने जैसी आज्ञा दी है वैसा बर्ताव हम कर रहे हैं। अतः इन देवेश्वरके सिवा दूसरा कोई ऐसा व्यक्ति नहीं है जो हमलोगोंपर शासन कर सके”
tenaikena yathādiṣṭaṃ tathā vartāma bhārata | na śāstā vidyate ’smākam anyas tasmāt sureśvarāt ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O Bhārata, we conduct ourselves exactly as we have been commanded by that one Lord alone. For us there exists no other ruler besides that Sovereign of the gods. Bearing his rule upon our heads, we move about everywhere without fear; therefore, apart from that divine Lord, no one else has the authority to govern us.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharmic discipline through obedience to a single legitimate authority: one should act in accordance with rightful command, recognizing that true sovereignty rests with the divine ruler rather than with competing human claims.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśaṃpāyana) explains that they follow only one master’s आदेश (command) and acknowledge no other governor besides the ‘Lord of the gods,’ asserting their freedom from fear because their conduct aligns with that supreme authority.