Shloka 17
Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20
यतो हि निम्नं भवति नयन्ति हि ततो जलम् । यतश्कछिद्रं ततश्चापि नयन्ते धीवरा जलम्,जिधर नीची जमीन होती है, उधर ही लोग जल बहाकर ले जाते हैं। जहाँ गड्ढा होता है, उधर ही धीवर भी जल बहाते हैं (इसी प्रकार आपलोग भी जैसे कार्य-साधनमें सुविधा हो, वैसा ही करें)
yato hi nimnaṃ bhavati nayanti hi tato jalam | yataś chidraṃ tataś cāpi nayante dhīvarā jalam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Nước luôn được dẫn về chỗ thấp; nơi nào có lỗ hổng hay chỗ trũng, người đánh cá cũng dẫn nước về đó. Cũng vậy, các ngài hãy tiến hành theo phương cách khả thi—đi theo con đường mà hoàn cảnh tự nhiên mở ra.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches pragmatic discernment: like water naturally moving toward lower ground and being guided through openings, wise action should follow the available channels and practical means without forcing what circumstances do not support.
Yudhiṣṭhira is offering counsel through a natural metaphor, urging others to choose a workable course of action—one aligned with existing conditions and opportunities—rather than insisting on an impractical approach.