Shloka 9
Bala and Dharma in Kṣatriya Governance (बल-धर्म सम्बन्धः)
युधिछ्िर उवाच आशभ्यन्तरे प्रकुपिते बाहरी चोपनिपीडिते । क्षीणे कोशे श्रुते मन्त्रे कि कार्यमवशिष्यते
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | āśābhyantare prakupite bāharī copanipīḍite | kṣīṇe kośe śrute mantre kiṁ kāryam avaśiṣyate ||
尤提施提罗说道：“祖父啊，当内心的希望已被搅乱，外部势力又从外逼迫，国库枯竭，而君王的机密谋议也已泄露——他还剩下什么对策？”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an extreme test of rājadharma: when internal morale collapses, external enemies press, finances are depleted, and secrecy is lost, a ruler must still seek a remaining dharmic course—prioritizing survival of the polity through prudent counsel, restoration of order, and ethically grounded strategy rather than despair.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma about governance. Here he presents a worst-case scenario for a king—internal turmoil and anger, external oppression, an empty treasury, and leaked state secrets—and asks what action is still possible.