Shloka 13
यज्ञेऽहिंसा-प्राधान्यम्
Primacy of Non-Harm in Sacrificial Ethics
युधिछिर उवाच शरीरमापदश्षापि विवदन्त्यविहिंसत: । कथं यात्रा शरीरस्य निरारम्भस्य सेत्स्यते
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
śarīram āpadaś cāpi vivadanty avihiṃsataḥ |
kathaṃ yātrā śarīrasya nirārambhasya setsyate ||
由提施提罗说道：即便是奉行不害（ahimsa）之人，身体与困厄之时也仿佛彼此争执——灾难消磨其身，而其身又渴望战胜灾难。那么，若有人因惧怕哪怕极其微细的伤害而不敢兴起任何世间事业，他又如何维系“身体之行旅”（即生命的存续）？
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic dilemma: absolute non-violence can conflict with the practical need to sustain the body, especially during adversity. It asks how one can live if one refuses all undertakings out of fear of causing even subtle harm.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma about the feasibility of strict ahiṃsā in real life. He points out that adversity pressures the body, and survival seems to require actions that may entail some degree of harm.