Shloka 21
सभा-पर्यवसान-प्रस्थानवचनम् | Counsel at the Point of Departure
युधिष्ठिरस्तु प्रश्नेडस्मिन् प्रमाणमिति मे मतिः । अजितां वा जितां वेति स्वयं व्याहर्तुमहति
yudhiṣṭhirastu praśne 'smin pramāṇam iti me matiḥ | ajitāṃ vā jitāṃ veti svayaṃ vyāhartum arhati ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Trong việc tranh chấp này, theo phán đoán của ta, Yudhiṣṭhira là thẩm quyền quyết định. Nàng chưa bị thắng hay đã bị thắng—chính ngài ấy mới xứng đáng tự mình tuyên bố điều đó.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a moral-legal dispute arises, the decisive testimony should come from the person whose agency created the situation; Bhīṣma points to Yudhiṣṭhira as the proper authority to state the truth of the matter.
In the royal assembly during the gambling controversy, a crucial question is raised about whether a woman has been 'won' or not; Bhīṣma states that Yudhiṣṭhira himself must declare the decision, since he is the relevant authority in the dispute.