Shloka 40
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
त्वं चापि फलभाक् तात तपस: पार्थिवो हासि । फलभाजो हि राजान: कल्याणस्येतरस्य वा
tvaṃ cāpi phalabhāk tāta tapasaḥ pārthivo hāsi | phalabhājo hi rājānaḥ kalyāṇasyetarasyā vā ||
ธฤตราษฏระกล่าวว่า “ลูกเอ๋ย เจ้าเองก็จักมีส่วนในผลอันประเสริฐแห่งตบะนี้ เพราะเจ้าเป็นพระราชา. พระราชาย่อมเป็นผู้ร่วมรับผลของสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นในแว่นแคว้นของตน—จะเป็นมงคลหรืออวมงคลก็ตาม”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches rajadharma: a ruler is morally implicated in the outcomes within his kingdom and therefore shares the karmic results—good or bad—of what happens under his governance; likewise, a king participating in austerity gains its merit.
In the forest-ascetic setting of the Āśramavāsika narrative, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses his ‘son’ affectionately and explains that, as a king, he will partake in the fruits of the ongoing tapas, just as kings partake in the results of deeds occurring in their realm.