Shloka 3
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
स्वधर्म चर धर्मज्ञ यथाशास्त्रं यथाविधि । न हि गार्हस्थ्यमुत्सृज्य तवारण्यं विधीयते,धर्मज्ञ युधिष्ठिर! तुम शास्त्रके कथनानुसार विधिपूर्वक स्वधर्मका ही आचरण करो। तुम्हारे लिये गृहस्थ-आश्रमको छोड़कर वनमें जानेका विधान नहीं है
svadharma cara dharmajña yathāśāstraṃ yathāvidhi | na hi gārhasthyam utsṛjya tavāraṇyaṃ vidhīyate, dharmajña yudhiṣṭhira ||
“โอ้ ผู้รู้ธรรม จงประพฤติสวธรรมของตนตามที่ศาสตรากล่าวไว้และตามพิธีวิธีอันถูกต้อง สำหรับเจ้า—โอ้ ยุธิษฐิระผู้รู้ธรรม—ไม่มีบัญญัติให้ละทิ้งอาศรมคฤหัสถ์แล้วเข้าป่า”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should follow one’s svadharma as laid down by śāstra and proper procedure; renunciation (forest-life) is not automatically the right path—especially for a ruler whose obligations lie in sustaining social order through responsible householdership and governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa counsels Yudhiṣṭhira, who is burdened by moral anguish, not to abandon his worldly station for the forest but to fulfill his prescribed duties in accordance with scriptural guidance.