Shloka 9
धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत आश्रमवासिकपवके अन्तर्गत आश्रमवासपर्वमें पहला अध्याय पूरा हुआ
vaiparītyakṛśne me śatrur niyamyakṛśne bhavennaraḥ | rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ mahādayāluḥ āsīt | sa sadā prasannaḥ san bhrātṝn mantriṇaś ca uvāca—“eṣa rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro mama yuṣmākaṃ ca mānanyaḥ | yo 'syājñāyāṃ tiṣṭhati sa eva mama suhṛt | viparītācārī mama śatruḥ; sa mama daṇḍasya bhāgī bhaviṣyati” | yāvad dhi kuru-vīrasya jīvat-putrasya vai sukham ||
Vaiśampāyana said: King Yudhiṣṭhira, ever compassionate and serene, repeatedly instructed his brothers and ministers: “King Dhṛtarāṣṭra is worthy of honor for me and for you all. Whoever remains obedient to his command is my friend; whoever acts in opposition is my enemy and will incur my punishment.” Thus Yudhiṣṭhira frames governance as an ethical discipline: respect for elders and lawful authority is the measure of loyalty, and deliberate defiance becomes a moral and political fault—so long as the Kuru hero, whose son yet lives, continues to enjoy his due well-being.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Loyalty and friendship are defined by adherence to rightful command and respectful conduct toward venerable elders; deliberate opposition to such authority is treated as a punishable ethical breach under the king’s daṇḍa.
Vaiśampāyana reports Yudhiṣṭhira’s standing instruction to his brothers and ministers: Dhṛtarāṣṭra must be honored, and those who follow his directives are allies, while those who act contrary are to be regarded as enemies and disciplined.