अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः
Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance
ये जीवन्ति व्यवहारेण राष्टरे पशुूंश्ष ये पालयन्तो वसन्ति
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ye jīvanti vyavahāreṇa rāṣṭre paśūṃś ca ye pālayanto vasanti | kṛṣīvalā bibhrati ye ca lokaṃ teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ kuśala-samāṃ pṛcche ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Aku bertanya khabar kesejahteraan semua Vaiśya di dalam kerajaan—mereka yang mencari rezeki melalui perdagangan, mereka yang tinggal sambil memelihara lembu dan ternakan lain, serta para petani yang dengan pertanian menyara rakyat. Semoga mereka semua selamat dan makmur.”
युधिछिर उवाच
A ruler’s dharma includes active concern for the well-being of productive communities—traders, herders, and farmers—because they sustain the kingdom’s prosperity and the people’s daily life.
Yudhiṣṭhira, speaking in the Udyoga Parva context of political tension, inquires about the welfare of the Vaiśya class in the Kaurava realm, emphasizing responsible governance and social stability.