Shloka 7
आपद्-राजनीतिः (Āpad-rājanīti) — Policy Options in Multi-Front Crisis
राजोवाच आशाया: किं कृशत्वं च कि चेह भुवि दुर्लभम् । ब्रवीतु भगवानेतत् त्वं हि धर्मार्थदर्शिवान्,राजा बोले--विप्रवर! आप धर्म और अर्थके ज्ञाता हैं, अतः यह बतानेकी कृपा करें कि आशासे बढ़कर दुर्बलता क्या है? और इस पृथ्वीपर सबसे दुर्लभ क्या है?
rājovāca— āśāyāḥ kiṁ kṛśatvaṁ ca kiṁ ceha bhuvi durlabham | bravītu bhagavān etat tvaṁ hi dharmārthadarśivān ||
王は言った。「婆羅門の中の最勝者よ。汝はダルマとアルタの双方を真に見通す者。ゆえに告げよ――『希望』（渇望を伴う期待）より大いなる弱さが他にあろうか。さらに、この地上において最も得難きものは何か。」
ऋषभ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: uncontrolled hope or expectation (āśā) is treated as a profound inner weakness because it binds the mind to outcomes. The king seeks guidance on mastering desire and understanding what is truly rare—implying that genuine virtue, contentment, or right discernment may be rarer than material gains.
In a didactic dialogue of the Śānti Parva, the king respectfully questions a revered sage, acknowledging his insight into both dharma and artha. He asks two pointed questions—about the greatest frailty (linked to hope/desire) and about what is most difficult to obtain in the world—inviting a moral-philosophical response.