Adhyāya 16 — Daiva, Kṣatriya-dharma, and Public Reassurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
कथं न राजवंशो<यं नश्येत् प्राप्प सुतान् मम । पाण्डोरिति मया पुत्रास्तस्मादुद्धर्षणं कृतम्
kathaṁ na rājavaṁśo ’yaṁ naśyet prāpya sutān mama | pāṇḍor iti mayā putrās tasmād uddharṣaṇaṁ kṛtam ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ວົງລາຊະຕະກູນນີ້ ຈະບໍ່ພິນາດໄດ້ແນວໃດ ເມື່ອມາຮອດລູກຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ—ລູກຂອງ ປານດຸ? ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂດຍຄິດວ່າ “ພວກເຂົາແມ່ນລູກຂອງ ປານດຸ” ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງກະທຳເພື່ອປຸກໃຈ ແລະ ເສີມຄວາມໝັ້ນໃຈໃຫ້ແກ່ພວກເຂົາ.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights a moral-political concern: safeguarding the continuity and integrity of the royal lineage. It frames encouragement (uddharṣaṇa) as a deliberate ethical act undertaken to prevent decline when leadership passes to the next generation.
Vaiśampāyana reports a speaker’s rationale for having stirred up resolve: fearing that the dynasty might be ruined upon reaching ‘my sons’—identified as Pāṇḍu’s sons—he intentionally encouraged them, presenting motivation as a protective measure for the realm and lineage.