Shloka 13
Drupada’s Putrakāmeṣṭi: The Sacrificial Birth of Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Kṛṣṇā
आपदस्तरणे प्राणान् धारयेद् येन तेन वा । सर्वमावृत्य कर्तव्यं तं धर्ममनुवर्तता,“जिस उपायसे भी आपत्तिसे छुटकारा मिले और प्राणोंकी रक्षा हो सके, धर्मका अनुसरण करनेवाले पुरुषको वह सब स्वीकार करके उस उपायको काममें लाना चाहिये
āpad-astaraṇe prāṇān dhārayet yena tena vā | sarvam āvṛtya kartavyaṃ taṃ dharmam anuvartatā ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana disse: “Quando é preciso atravessar a calamidade, deve-se preservar a própria vida por quaisquer meios disponíveis. Aquele que é fiel ao dharma deve, como que cobrindo todo o resto, aceitar e empregar justamente o expediente que o resgata do perigo e resguarda sua vida.”
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
In times of extreme danger (āpada), preserving life becomes the immediate priority; a dharma-following person may adopt whatever effective means are available to survive, temporarily setting aside other considerations—this is the principle of āpaddharma (dharma for emergencies).
Vaiśaṃpāyana delivers a general ethical maxim within the Adi Parva’s instructional discourse: he explains how one should act when faced with crisis—choosing practical measures that avert danger and protect life, even if normal rules must be bracketed for the moment.