Shloka 21
अध्याय ३० — क्रोधदोषाः क्षमाप्रशंसा च
Defects of Anger and the Praise of Forbearance
इस विषयमें लोग इस प्राचीन इतिहासका उदाहरण देते हैं, जिसमें यह कहा गया है कि सब लोग ईश्वरके वशमें हैं, कोई भी स्वाधीन नहीं है
asmin viṣaye lokāḥ imaṃ prācīnam itihāsam udāharaṇam vadanti, yatra uktam—sarve lokā īśvarasya vaśe vartante; kaścid api svatantraḥ na asti.
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Về điều này, người đời thường dẫn một điển tích cổ xưa. Trong đó có lời rằng muôn loài đều vận hành dưới quyền của Đấng Tối Thượng; chẳng ai thật sự tự chủ.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes divine sovereignty: all beings operate under the Lord’s governance, so human autonomy is limited. Ethically, it encourages humility, restraint in blame, and reflection on duty (dharma) within a larger cosmic order.
Yudhiṣṭhira introduces a traditional precedent—an ‘ancient itihāsa’—to support his point. He frames the discussion by appealing to commonly cited authoritative stories that teach that no one acts in complete independence from the divine will.