Shloka 1
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
- कृषि आदि आठ सन्धान कर्म हैं। बाल आदि बीस असन्धेय हैं। नास्तिकता आदि चौदह दोष हैं और मन्त्र आदि अठारह तीर्थ हैं। उन सबका विस्तारपूर्वक वर्णन पहले आ चुका है। सप्तमो<ध्याय: युधिष्ठिरको धृतराष्ट्रके द्वारा राजनीतिका उपदेश धृतराष्ट उवाच संधिविग्रहमप्यत्र पश्येथा राजसत्तम । द्वियोनिं विविधोपायं बहुकल्पं युधिष्ठिर
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | saṃdhivigraham apy atra paśyethā rājasattama | dviyonim vividhopāyaṃ bahukalpaṃ yudhiṣṭhira ||
持国说道：“尤提施提罗，诸王之最，你在此亦当留心于和与战。二者有其双重根基：敌强则与之修和，敌弱则对之兴兵。其运用多端，方法各异，形态亦繁。”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must deliberately evaluate both peace (saṃdhi) and war (vigraha). The counsel frames them as twofold in basis—peace with a stronger adversary and war against a weaker one—while emphasizing that real policy requires many nuanced methods and variants rather than a single rigid rule.
In the Āśramavāsika Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and offers instruction in rājadharma (political ethics). This verse opens a section of counsel, directing Yudhiṣṭhira to keep strategic attention on the twin instruments of treaty-making and conflict.