Shloka 7
आपद्-राजनीतिः (Āpad-rājanīti) — Policy Options in Multi-Front Crisis
राजोवाच आशाया: किं कृशत्वं च कि चेह भुवि दुर्लभम् । ब्रवीतु भगवानेतत् त्वं हि धर्मार्थदर्शिवान्,राजा बोले--विप्रवर! आप धर्म और अर्थके ज्ञाता हैं, अतः यह बतानेकी कृपा करें कि आशासे बढ़कर दुर्बलता क्या है? और इस पृथ्वीपर सबसे दुर्लभ क्या है?
rājovāca— āśāyāḥ kiṁ kṛśatvaṁ ca kiṁ ceha bhuvi durlabham | bravītu bhagavān etat tvaṁ hi dharmārthadarśivān ||
Raja berkata: “Wahai Brahmana yang utama, kerana engkau benar-benar melihat dharma dan artha, mohon katakan kepadaku: kelemahan apakah yang lebih besar daripada harapan (keinginan yang menunggu-nunggu)? Dan di bumi ini, apakah yang paling sukar dan paling jarang diperoleh?”
ऋषभ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: uncontrolled hope or expectation (āśā) is treated as a profound inner weakness because it binds the mind to outcomes. The king seeks guidance on mastering desire and understanding what is truly rare—implying that genuine virtue, contentment, or right discernment may be rarer than material gains.
In a didactic dialogue of the Śānti Parva, the king respectfully questions a revered sage, acknowledging his insight into both dharma and artha. He asks two pointed questions—about the greatest frailty (linked to hope/desire) and about what is most difficult to obtain in the world—inviting a moral-philosophical response.