Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
स राजा सुमहातेजा वृद्ध: कुरुकुलोद्वह:
sa rājā sumahātejā vṛddhaḥ kurukulodvahaḥ | viparītakaś ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच— स राजा सुमहातेजा वृद्धः कुरुकुलोद्वहः (युधिष्ठिरः) एवमब्रवीत्— “यः कश्चिदत्र विपरीतमाचरति स मम शत्रुः; यस्तु नियमे स्थित्वा आज्ञामनुवर्तते स मम स्वजन इव।” एवं स नीतिं धर्माधीनां मैत्रीं च दर्शयामास— धृतराष्ट्रं पूज्यं कृत्वा तस्याज्ञापालनमेव सुहृत्त्वस्य प्रमाणमिति, अवज्ञां च दण्ड्यतामिति।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical governance is grounded in honoring rightful, venerable authority and maintaining discipline: obedience to the king’s command is treated as a sign of friendship and social order, while deliberate contrariness is framed as enmity and deserving of correction.
Vaiśampāyana describes the king’s stance (contextually, Yudhiṣṭhira’s policy toward Dhṛtarāṣṭra): he publicly instructs that Dhṛtarāṣṭra is to be regarded as worthy of honor, and that those who comply with this authority are allies, whereas those who act oppositely are enemies liable to punishment.