Shloka 9
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
विद्यस्ते पुरुषव्याप्र वचनं कुरुसत्तम । शृणुष्वैवं यथा कुर्वन् न धर्माच्च्यवसे नूप
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: vidyā te puruṣavyāghra vacanaṃ kurusattama | śṛṇuṣvaivaṃ yathā kurvan na dharmāc cyavase nṛpa ||
வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்—குருகுலத்தின் சிறந்தவனே, மனிதர்களில் புலியே! உன் எண்ணத்தை நான் அறிந்தேன். இப்போது என் அறிவுரையை கேள்; அதன்படி நடந்தால், அரசனே, நீ தர்மத்திலிருந்து வழுவமாட்டாய்.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Right action should be guided by sound counsel so that one remains aligned with dharma; ethical steadiness is presented as the standard for a ruler’s decisions.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a Kuru ruler with honorific epithets, acknowledges understanding his concern, and introduces a directive: to listen and act accordingly so as not to deviate from dharma.