Shloka 55
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
अन्ततो दयितं घ्नन्ति केचिदप्यपरे जना: । तस्याज़् बलहीनस्य पुत्रान् भ्रातृनपश्यत:
antato dayitaṃ ghnanti kecid apy apare janāḥ | tasyābalahīnasya putrān bhrātṝn apaśyataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Akhirnya, ada orang yang sampai memukul mati apa yang paling dikasihinya; yang lain pun demikian—membunuh yang tercinta, sedangkan dia, tanpa daya, hanya mampu memandang, tidak dapat melindungi anak-anak lelaki dan saudara-saudaranya. Demikianlah kekejaman yang timbul apabila kekuatan lenyap dan kebenaran ditinggalkan.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral collapse where attachment and kinship no longer restrain violence: when dharma is eclipsed and a person becomes powerless, even the dearest relations (sons and brothers) can be destroyed before one’s eyes. It warns that loss of strength and loss of righteousness together enable extreme cruelty.
In the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on human conduct and the tragic outcomes of conflict. He describes a situation where a helpless person must witness harm done to his closest family—an image used to underscore the urgency of ethical restraint and the dangers of escalating hostility.