Shloka 1
Bala and Dharma in Kṣatriya Governance (बल-धर्म सम्बन्धः)
ऑपन-माजल छा अ<-छकऋाज (आपडद्धर्मपर्व) एकत्रिशदधिकशततमो< ध्याय: आप्त्तिग्रस्त राजाके कर्तव्यका वर्णन युधिछिर उवाच क्षीणस्य दीर्घसूत्रस्य सानुक्रोशस्य बन्धुषु । परिशड्किततवृत्तस्य श्रुतमन्त्रस्य भारत
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kṣīṇasya dīrghasūtrasya sānukrośasya bandhuṣu | pariśaṅkitavṛttasya śrutamantrasya bhārata ||
ຢຸດທິສຖິຣ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພາຣະຕະ, ກະສັດຜູ້ໜຶ່ງທີ່ຖືກດູດໝົດທັງກໍາລັງແລະຊັບສິນ; ຜູ້ທີ່ຜັດຜ່ອນຊັກຊ້າ; ຜູ້ທີ່ເພາະຄວາມເມດຕາຕໍ່ຍາດພີ່ນ້ອງຫຼາຍເກີນໄປ ຈຶ່ງບໍ່ກ້ານໍາເຂົາໄປປະຈັນໜ້າສັດຕູ ເພາະຢ້ານການພິນາດຂອງເຂົາ; ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກສົງໄສໃນຄວາມປະພຶດ (ຫຼືຜູ້ທີ່ສົງໄສຄວາມປະພຶດຂອງອໍາມາດທີ່ປຶກສາ); ແລະຜູ້ທີ່ຄໍາປຶກສາຖືກລັກຟັງ ບໍ່ເປັນຄວາມລັບອີກ—ເມື່ອຜູ້ປົກຄອງແບບນີ້ຖືກພິບັດກົດດັນ ແລະໃຈຫວັ່ນໄຫວ ຍັງເຫຼືອທາງໃດອີກ? ຄວນເຮັດຢ່າງໃດເພື່ອພົ້ນຈາກວິກິດນີ້?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a rāja-dharma problem: when a ruler is weakened materially and psychologically, divided by misplaced compassion, and compromised by distrust and leaked strategy, he must seek a disciplined, realistic remedy—restoring secrecy, decisive action, reliable counsel, and protective measures—rather than drifting in delay and fear.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions the elder authority (addressed as ‘Bhārata’) about what a distressed king should do when his power is depleted, his decision-making is delayed, his inner circle is unreliable or suspected, and his strategic counsel has been exposed—setting up Bhīṣma’s instruction on conduct in political calamity.