Shloka 90
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
प्राकारैश्न पुरद्वारैः प्रासादैश्व पृथग्विधै: । नगराणि न शोभन्ते हीनानि ब्राह्मणोत्तमै:,चहारदीवारियों, नगरद्वारों और भिन्न-भिन्न महलोंसे भी नगरोंकी तबतक शोभा नहीं होती जबतक वहाँ श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मण न रहें
prākāraiś ca puradvāraiḥ prāsādaiś ca pṛthagvidhaiḥ | nagarāṇi na śobhante hīnāni brāhmaṇottamaiḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Kota tidak benar-benar berseri hanya kerana benteng, pintu gerbang, dan pelbagai istana. Kota yang kekurangan Brahmana terbaik tidak memiliki kemegahan yang sejati.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material grandeur—walls, gates, and palaces—does not constitute a city’s true greatness. Real splendor arises from the presence of exemplary Brāhmaṇas who sustain dharma through learning, counsel, ritual, and moral guidance.
Yudhiṣṭhira is reflecting on what makes a kingdom flourish. He contrasts external fortifications and royal architecture with the inner strength of a community grounded in dharma, emphasizing the civic importance of virtuous and learned Brāhmaṇas.