Shloka 16
Āśvamedhika-parva Adhyāya 1 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament by the Gaṅgā and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel
अथ नेच्छसि राजानं कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । मेढीभूत: स्वयं राज्यं प्रतिगृह्नीष्व पार्थिव
atha necchasi rājānaṃ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | meḍhībhūtaḥ svayaṃ rājyaṃ pratigṛhṇīṣva pārthiva ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana nói: “Nếu ngài không muốn lập Yudhiṣṭhira, con của Kuntī, lên ngôi vua, thì chính ngài—trở thành trụ cột trung tâm gánh ách—hãy nhận lấy vương quốc và tự mình mang lấy gánh nặng ấy. Hỡi bậc chúa tể loài người, xin hãy tự nhận lấy trách nhiệm.”
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rule is inseparable from responsibility: if one refuses to support the rightful king, one must be prepared to shoulder the full burden of governance oneself. The verse frames kingship as a moral duty rather than a privilege.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a ruler, pressing a practical and ethical choice: either accept Yudhiṣṭhira (Kuntī’s son) as king, or personally take up the weight of the kingdom—like a central post that bears the yoke—rather than leaving authority unresolved.