Shloka 7
Bhīmasena’s Counsel on Grief, Inner Conflict, and the Duty of Kingship (भीमसेन-उपदेशः)
एवं गते महाराज राज्यं प्रति जनाधिप । हेतुमत्र प्रवक्ष्यामि तमिहैकमना: शूणु
evaṃ gate mahārāja rājyaṃ prati janādhipa | hetum atra pravakṣyāmi tam ihai-kamanāḥ śṛṇu ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó grande rei, ó senhor do povo, já que as coisas chegaram a este ponto, exporei agora a única razão que te atrai para a realeza. Escuta aqui com a mente concentrada num só ponto.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames kingship as a matter requiring clear reasoning and focused listening: before urging a ruler toward sovereignty, the speaker promises to state a definite motive (hetu), implying that political authority should be grounded in a justifiable ethical cause rather than impulse.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a king directly, noting that the situation has reached a decisive point and announcing that he will explain the specific reason for drawing the king toward the kingdom; he asks the king to listen with concentrated attention.