Shloka 53
धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति व्यवहार-रक्षा-नियमनोपदेशः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Instruction on Administration, Punishment, and Daily Governance
“कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठू इस समय वे तुमसे कुछ धन लेना चाहते हैं। उनकी इच्छा है कि महात्मा भीष्म, द्रोणाचार्य, सोमदत्त, बुद्धिमान् बाह्नीक और युद्धमें मारे गये अपने समस्त पुत्रों तथा अन्य सुहृदोंका श्राद्ध करें ।।
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kurukulaśreṣṭha, etasmin samaye te tvattaḥ kiñcid dhanaṃ grahītuṃ icchanti. teṣām icchā—mahātmā bhīṣma-dronācārya-somadatta-buddhimān bāhnīka-yuddhe nihata-sarva-putrāṇāṃ tathā anyeṣāṃ suhṛdāṃ ca śrāddhaṃ kuryuḥ. yadi cāpy anujānīṣe saindhavāpasadasya ca—yadi tava sammatir bhavet, te narādhamasya sindhurājasya jayadrathasya api śrāddhaṃ kartum icchanti.
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik daripada keturunan Kuru, pada saat ini mereka ingin menerima sedikit harta daripadamu. Hasrat mereka ialah melaksanakan upacara śrāddha bagi mulia Bhīṣma, Droṇācārya, Somadatta, Bāhlīka yang bijaksana, serta bagi semua putera mereka dan sahabat-sahabat lain yang gugur dalam peperangan. Dan jika engkau mengizinkan, mereka juga ingin melaksanakan śrāddha bagi Saindhava yang telah rebah itu—Jayadratha, raja Sindhu—walaupun dia seorang yang hina.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after devastating conflict, dharma emphasizes honoring the dead through prescribed rites and extending moral consideration beyond personal enmity; the request to include Jayadratha tests the listener’s capacity for restraint, forgiveness, and adherence to ritual duty.
A request is made for funds to conduct śrāddha ceremonies for major warriors and relatives killed in the war—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Somadatta, Bāhlīka, and others—and, with the addressee’s permission, also for Jayadratha of Sindhu, despite his being condemned as base.