Shloka 16
Āśvamedhika-parva Adhyāya 1 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament by the Gaṅgā and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel
अथ नेच्छसि राजानं कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । मेढीभूत: स्वयं राज्यं प्रतिगृह्नीष्व पार्थिव
atha necchasi rājānaṃ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | meḍhībhūtaḥ svayaṃ rājyaṃ pratigṛhṇīṣva pārthiva ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「もし汝が、クンティーの子ユディシュティラを王として据えることを望まぬのなら、汝みずから—軛を支える中央の柱となって—王国を受け取り、その重荷を担え。人々の王よ、その責を自ら引き受けよ。」
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rule is inseparable from responsibility: if one refuses to support the rightful king, one must be prepared to shoulder the full burden of governance oneself. The verse frames kingship as a moral duty rather than a privilege.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a ruler, pressing a practical and ethical choice: either accept Yudhiṣṭhira (Kuntī’s son) as king, or personally take up the weight of the kingdom—like a central post that bears the yoke—rather than leaving authority unresolved.