Shloka 18
Daṇḍa, Ahiṃsā, and Proportional Kingship: The Dyumatsena–Satyavān Dialogue (दण्ड-अहिंसा-विवेकः)
तेनैवान्य: प्रभवति सो5परं बाधते पुनः । दृश्यते चैव स पुनस्तुल्यरूपो यदृच्छया
tenaivānyaḥ prabhavati so 'paraṃ bādhate punaḥ | dṛśyate caiva sa punas tulyarūpo yadṛcchayā ||
तेनैवान्यः प्रभवति सोऽपरं बाधते पुनः । दृश्यते चैव स पुनस्तुल्यरूपो यदृच्छया ॥
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that dharma (or what is taken to be dharma) can produce opposite outcomes: it may elevate one person while enabling another to harm others. Therefore, ethical evaluation must consider intention, application, and consequences—not merely the outward ‘form’ of a practice.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a doubt about the reliability of dharma as a guide. He observes that the same principle or practice can appear similar externally yet lead to very different results depending on the person and circumstances.