Shloka 12
Nahūṣa-Ājagara Saṃvāda: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Definition of Brāhmaṇa and the ‘Vedyam’ Debate
कीर्तिस्तु ते भारत पुण्यगन्धा नश्येद्धि लोकेषु चराचरेषु तत् प्राप्य राज्यं कुरुपुड्रवानां शक््यं महत् प्राप्तुमथ क्रियाश्व॒,“परंतु ऐसा होनेपर चराचर जगत्में आपकी पुण्यमयी कीर्ति नष्ट हो जायगी। इसलिये कुरुवंश-शिरोमणि अपने पूर्वजोंके उस महान् राज्यको प्राप्त करके ही हम और कोई सत्कर्म करनेयोग्य हो सकते हैं। भरतकुलभूषण महाराज! आप कुबेरसे जो सम्मान या अनुग्रह प्राप्त कर रहे हैं, इसे तो सदा ही प्राप्त कर सकते हैं। इस समय तो अपराधी शत्रुओंको मारने और दण्ड देनेका निश्चय कीजिये
kīrtis tu te bhārata puṇyagandhā naśyed dhi lokeṣu carācareṣu | tat prāpya rājyaṃ kurupuṇḍravānāṃ śakyaṃ mahat prāptum atha kriyāśva ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó descendente de Bharata, se agires de outro modo, tua fama—perfumada de mérito—perecerá entre todos os mundos de seres móveis e imóveis. Portanto, somente após recuperar aquele grande reino ancestral dos Kurus e dos Puṇḍras é que se pode verdadeiramente empreender e alcançar feitos grandes e dignos. A honra ou o favor que recebes de Kubera pode ser obtido a qualquer tempo; mas agora deves resolver-te a abater e punir os inimigos culpados.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical kingship as inseparable from reputation grounded in merit: abandoning rightful duty causes one’s virtuous fame to collapse across the world, whereas reclaiming legitimate sovereignty enables truly great and righteous action; worldly favors (even from Kubera) are secondary to timely justice against wrongdoing.
In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, counsel is being given to a Bharata prince: do not choose a course that would tarnish renown; instead, regain the ancestral realm of the Kurus (and associated territories) and decisively punish culpable enemies—since divine or royal honors can be sought later, but the moment for enforcing justice is now.