Shloka 21
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
सुमन्त्रिते सुनीते च सर्वतश्नोपपादिते । पौरुषे कर्मणि कृते नास्त्यधर्मो युधिष्ठिर
sumantrite sunīte ca sarvataś copapādite | pauruṣe karmaṇi kṛte nāsty adharmo yudhiṣṭhira ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຢຸທິສຖິຣ, ເມື່ອໄດ້ປຶກສາຫາລືຢ່າງດີ ນຳນະໂຍບາຍອັນຖືກຕ້ອງໃຊ້ ແລະ ພາກພຽນດ້ວຍຄວາມພະຍາຍາມຂອງມະນຸດຈາກທຸກດ້ານແລ້ວ—ແມ່ນແຕ່ຖ້າປະຊາປະສົບຄວາມທຸກຍາກບາງຢ່າງ—ອະທຳມະກໍບໍ່ຕົກແກ່ກະສັດ.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler is morally accountable for negligence and wrongful intent, but not for unavoidable suffering that occurs despite thorough deliberation, sound policy, and complete, sincere effort. Proper process—good counsel (mantra), right policy (nīti), and full exertion (pauruṣa)—protects the king from the charge of adharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and dharma, Vaiśampāyana addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, explaining a principle of royal responsibility: when governance has been conducted with careful counsel and proper measures, incidental distress among the people does not automatically make the king blameworthy.