Shloka 5
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
प्रयास्यमानो नृपतिस्त्रिविधां परिचिन्तयेत् । आत्मनश्वैव शत्रोश्व शक्ति शास्त्रविशारद:,शत्रुपर चढ़ाई करनेवाले शास्त्रविशारद राजाको अपनी और शत्रुकी त्रिविध शक्तियोंपर भलीभाँति विचार कर लेना चाहिये
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | prayāsyamāno nṛpatis trividhāṃ paricintayet | ātmanaś caiva śatroś ca śaktiṃ śāstraviśāradaḥ ||
Sinabi ni Dhṛtarāṣṭra: “Kapag ang isang hari ay malapit nang lumabas sa isang paglusob—bilang bihasa sa agham ng pamamahala at pakikidigma—dapat niyang pagnilayan nang maingat ang tatluhang lakas, kapwa sa sarili at sa kaaway.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before initiating aggression or a military march, a ruler must practice disciplined deliberation: assess, in a structured way, the threefold strengths and resources of both sides, so that action is guided by knowledge rather than impulse.
In Āśramavāsika Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in a reflective, advisory tone, articulating principles of kingship and conduct; here he states a rule of prudent statecraft for a king preparing to attack or march against an enemy.