Shloka 21
सभा-पर्यवसान-प्रस्थानवचनम् | Counsel at the Point of Departure
युधिष्ठिरस्तु प्रश्नेडस्मिन् प्रमाणमिति मे मतिः । अजितां वा जितां वेति स्वयं व्याहर्तुमहति
yudhiṣṭhirastu praśne 'smin pramāṇam iti me matiḥ | ajitāṃ vā jitāṃ veti svayaṃ vyāhartum arhati ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Nesta controvérsia, meu juízo é que Yudhiṣṭhira é a autoridade decisiva. Se ela não foi ganha ou se foi ganha—é ele próprio quem está apto a declará-lo.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a moral-legal dispute arises, the decisive testimony should come from the person whose agency created the situation; Bhīṣma points to Yudhiṣṭhira as the proper authority to state the truth of the matter.
In the royal assembly during the gambling controversy, a crucial question is raised about whether a woman has been 'won' or not; Bhīṣma states that Yudhiṣṭhira himself must declare the decision, since he is the relevant authority in the dispute.