Shloka 18
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
युधिछिर उवाच अधर्म चरसे नून॑ यो नावेक्षसि वै नयम् | यो नः सुमनसां मूढ विभेदं कर्तुमिच्छसि
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: adharmaṁ carase nūnaṁ yo nāvekṣasi vai nayam | yo naḥ sumanasāṁ mūḍha vibhedaṁ kartum icchasi ||
Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “Tunay na ikaw ay kumikilos sa adharma, sapagkat ni hindi mo man lamang tinitingnan ang nararapat na asal at wastong patakaran. O nalilinlang na tao, nais mong maghasik ng pagkakahati sa aming magkakapatid na iisa ang loob at iisa ang layon.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns deliberate fomenting of discord as adharma and stresses that ethical action must be guided by naya—sound judgment and proper conduct—especially when a community is otherwise united in goodwill.
Yudhiṣṭhira rebukes an interlocutor for ignoring prudent counsel and attempting to sow division among his side, framing the act as both morally wrong (adharma) and politically unsound (against naya).