Shloka 26
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
युधिछिर उवाच कस्मिन् काले चरेद् धर्म कस्मिन् काले<र्थमाचरेत् । कस्मिन् काले सुखी च स्यात् तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kasmin kāle cared dharma kasmin kāle 'rtham ācaret | kasmin kāle sukhī ca syāt tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Datuk, pada waktu bilakah seseorang harus mengamalkan dharma? Pada waktu bilakah harus mengejar artha (kesejahteraan duniawi dan sarana)? Dan pada waktu bilakah seseorang boleh berbahagia? Beritahulah aku.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a classic ethical inquiry: how to discern the proper time and circumstance for pursuing dharma (moral duty), artha (practical/material aims), and the resulting sukha (well-being). It signals that virtue and prosperity are not merely goals, but must be harmonized through wise timing and context-sensitive judgment.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches the revered elder Bhīṣma (addressed as Pitāmaha) for guidance. Here he asks Bhīṣma to clarify when one should prioritize righteous conduct, when one should engage in worldly pursuits, and under what conditions one attains happiness—setting up Bhīṣma’s ensuing instruction.