Shloka 2
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
तदिच्छामि परां श्रोतु बुद्धि ते भरतर्षभ । यथा राजा न मुहोत शत्रुभि: परिवारित:
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: tad icchāmi parāṃ śrotuṃ buddhiṃ te bharatarṣabha | yathā rājā na muhyeta śatrubhiḥ parivāritaḥ, bharatabhūṣaṇa ||
由提希提罗说道：“噢，婆罗多族之雄！我愿从你处聆听那至高的智慧——凭此而行，君王纵使为敌所围，亦不陷于迷妄。噢，婆罗多族之光饰！我所请问者正是此智；故请为我开示其义。”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the inquiry: the highest practical wisdom (buddhi) is that which keeps a ruler steady and undeluded even under extreme pressure—specifically, when encircled by enemies. It points toward discernment grounded in dharma and clear judgment in crisis.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and conduct, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully asks the elder teacher to explain the kind of intelligence a king must cultivate so that, even in hostile encirclement, he does not lose clarity or fall into भ्रम (delusion).