Shloka 21
नास्मिन् कुले जातु ममज्ज धर्मों न चालस्यथादर्थलोपो बभूव । अनुत्तरा: सर्वभूतेषु भूय: सम्प्राप्ता: सम: संशयं किनु राजन्,“राजन! हमारे कुलमें कभी आलस्यवश धर्मका लोप नहीं हुआ; अर्थका भी कभी नाश नहीं हुआ। हमने किसी भी प्राणीके प्रार्थना करनेपर कभी उसे कोरा जवाब नहीं दिया-- निराश नहीं किया। फिर भी हम धर्मसंकटमें कैसे पड़ गये?”
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nāsmin kule jātu mamajja dharmo na cālasyathād arthalopo babhūva | anuttarāḥ sarvabhūteṣu bhūyaḥ samprāptāḥ samaḥ saṃśayaṃ kinu rājan ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「王よ！ 我らの家系において、怠惰ゆえにダルマが沈み衰えたことは一度もない。怠りによって財が失われたこともない。さらに、いかなる生きとし生けるものが願いを携えて近づこうとも、我らは空しい拒絶で追い返したことはなく、望みを断って絶望させたこともない。それなのに、王よ、なぜ我らはダルマの危機に陥ったのか—我らの正しさに何の疑いがあろうか。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that a noble lineage is measured by sustained dharma: diligence (no sloth), stewardship of resources (no avoidable loss of wealth), and compassion toward all beings (not turning away those who seek help). Yet it also highlights a Mahābhārata theme: even the righteous can face situations where dharma becomes difficult to discern, prompting humility and inquiry rather than complacent self-certainty.
Vaiśampāyana reports a speaker’s reflection addressed to a king: the speaker defends their family’s long-standing ethical conduct—dharma has not declined, prosperity has not been squandered through laziness, and supplicants have not been dismissed. Despite this record, they find themselves in a ‘dharma-crisis’ and ask how such a predicament could have arisen.