Shloka 38
पुनर्द्यूत-समाह्वानम्
Renewed Summons to the Dice-Game and Exile Wager
धर्मे स्थितो धर्मसुतो महात्मा धर्मश्न सूक्ष्मो निपुणोपलक्ष्य: । वाचापि भर्तु: परमाणुमात्र- मिच्छामि दोष॑ न गुणान् विसृज्य
dharme sthito dharmasuto mahātmā dharmajñaḥ sūkṣmo nipuṇopalakṣyaḥ | vācāpi bhartuḥ paramāṇumātram icchāmi doṣaṁ na guṇān visṛjya ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Putera Dharma yang berjiwa agung, Yudhiṣṭhira, teguh berdiri dalam dharma. Hakikat dharma itu amat halus; hanya mereka yang berdaya tilik tajam dan mahir dalam pengamalannya dapat mengenalinya. Bahkan dengan kata-kata pun aku tidak ingin menyebut walau sebesar zarah pun kesalahan pada suamiku, dengan mengabaikan segala kebajikannya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is subtle and requires refined discernment; ethical speech should prioritize truth with restraint, avoiding fault-finding—especially when a person’s overarching virtues and steadfastness in dharma are evident.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana characterizes Yudhiṣṭhira as firmly rooted in dharma and notes the subtlety of dharma; the passage also conveys a stance of reluctance to criticize one’s husband even minimally, emphasizing respect and the weighing of virtues over minor defects.