Shloka 17
Daṇḍa, Ahiṃsā, and Proportional Kingship: The Dyumatsena–Satyavān Dialogue (दण्ड-अहिंसा-विवेकः)
महाजना ह्ापावृत्ता राजधर्म समाश्रिता: । न हि सर्वहित: कश्चिदाचार: सम्प्रवर्तते
mahājanā hy apāvṛttā rājadharma-samāśritāḥ | na hi sarvahitaḥ kaścid ācāraḥ sampravartate ||
Disse Yudhiṣṭhira: “Até homens eminentes, por vezes, afastaram-se do seu dever costumeiro e buscaram amparo na lei régia do governo e no código do guerreiro. Portanto, não se pode dizer que haja uma única regra de conduta uniformemente benéfica para todos, nem uma prática que todos possam seguir do mesmo modo.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is context-sensitive: even exemplary authorities may adopt rājadharma when circumstances demand, so no single ācāra can be universally beneficial or uniformly applicable to all people in all situations.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the variability of right conduct, noting that even great authorities sometimes shift from their usual duty to the demands of kingship and the warrior’s code, highlighting the complexity of ethical decision-making.