Shloka 3
Adhyāya 20 — Rājadharma Argument for Paternal Inheritance and Timely Conciliation
सर्वेर्भवद्धिर्विदितो राजधर्म: सनातन: । वाक्योपादानहेतोस्तु वक्ष्यामि विदिते सति
sarvair bhavadbhir vidito rājadharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | vākyopādāna-hetos tu vakṣyāmi vidite sati |
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Todos vós conheceis bem o dharma eterno da realeza. Ainda assim, embora seja conhecido, falarei—para que, ao fim, haja ocasião de ouvi-lo também de vossas próprias bocas, como base confirmada para o que deve ser dito e decidido.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a moral principle is already known (here, the perennial rājadharma), it should be restated in council so that decisions rest on explicitly affirmed dharma and shared accountability, not merely private understanding.
The narrator-speaker (Vaiśaṃpāyana) signals that the assembly already understands the eternal duties of kings, yet he will articulate them anyway to establish a clear verbal foundation and to elicit confirmation from the listeners during deliberation.