Shloka 14
अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः
Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode
स्वयं विनाश्य पृथिवीं यज्ञार्थ द्विजसत्तम । करमाहारयिष्यामि कथं शोकपरायण:,द्विजश्रेष्ठ! स्वयं ही सारी पृथ्वीका विनाश कराकर शोकमग्न हुआ मैं इनसे यज्ञके लिये कर किस तरह वसूल करूँगा
svayaṁ vināśya pṛthivīṁ yajñārthaṁ dvijasattama | karam āhārayiṣyāmi kathaṁ śokaparāyaṇaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Hỡi bậc tối thượng trong hàng nhị sinh! Sau khi chính ta đã khiến cõi đất này điêu tàn, ta—kẻ bị nỗi sầu khổ dồn ép và cuốn đi—làm sao còn có thể thu thuế của dân chúng vì mục đích tế lễ?”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between royal duty (funding a yajña through taxation) and moral accountability after widespread suffering. Yudhiṣṭhira’s grief and remorse make him question the legitimacy of extracting revenue from a populace already harmed by war, emphasizing compassion and conscientious governance within dharma.
In the aftermath of the great war, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a revered Brahmin (dvijasattama) while preparations for a major sacrifice are in view. He confesses that, having been a cause of the earth’s devastation, he feels unfit and emotionally unable to demand taxes for conducting the yajña.