Shloka 15
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
वर्तमानेषु सद्वृत्तिं पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु,विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है, वही मेरा सुहृद् है। विपरीत आचरण करनेवाला मेरा शत्रु है। वह मेरे दण्डका भागी होगा
vartamāneṣu sadvṛttiṁ pāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu | viparītakaś ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: While the great-souled Pāṇḍavas were living in righteous conduct, (Yudhiṣṭhira maintained this rule): whoever remained under discipline and followed the proper order was to be regarded as his well-wisher; but anyone who acted in opposition to that order was to be treated as his enemy and restrained. The ethical thrust is that loyalty is defined not by personal closeness but by obedience to rightful authority and dharmic governance.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s friendship and enmity are defined ethically: those who accept rightful discipline and follow dharmic order are allies; those who act contrary become enemies and must be restrained for the sake of governance.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Pāṇḍavas’ continued commitment to righteous conduct and summarizes Yudhiṣṭhira’s policy of treating obedience to proper authority as the measure of loyalty, and opposition as grounds for corrective restraint.