Shloka 21
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
सुमन्त्रिते सुनीते च सर्वतश्नोपपादिते । पौरुषे कर्मणि कृते नास्त्यधर्मो युधिष्ठिर,'युधिष्ठिर! अच्छी तरह मन्त्रणा की गयी हो, सुन्दर नीतिसे काम लिया गया हो और सब ओरसे पुरुषार्थपूर्वक प्रयत्न किये गये हों (उस अवस्थामें यदि प्रजाको कोई कष्ट हो जाय) तो राजाको उसका पाप नहीं लगता
sumantrite sunīte ca sarvataś copapādite | pauruṣe karmaṇi kṛte nāsty adharmo yudhiṣṭhira ||
वैशंपायन म्हणाले—हे युधिष्ठिर! जेव्हा मंत्रणा उत्तम रीतीने केली जाते, नीतीचा योग्य उपयोग होतो आणि सर्व बाजूंनी पुरुषार्थपूर्वक प्रयत्न केले जातात, तेव्हा—प्रजेला काही कष्ट झाले तरी—राजावर अधर्म लागत नाही.
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.