Shloka 12
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
नैतत् कारणमल्पं हि भविष्यति विशाम्पते । यदेकस्मिन् जगत् सर्व देववद् याति संनतिम्
naitat kāraṇam alpaṁ hi bhaviṣyati viśāmpate | yad ekasmin jagat sarvaṁ devavad yāti saṁnatim prajānātha ||
尤提士提罗说道：“噢，众民之主，此事绝非小因所致。天下万众将目光系于一人，并如对神祇般向他俯首——如此普遍的敬仰，必出于重大缘由。”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Widespread public reverence is not accidental or minor; it implies a substantial cause—typically perceived virtue, power, protection, or dharmic authority—so one should examine the grounds of legitimacy and moral stature behind such honor.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective dialogue on governance and dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a ruler-like figure with honorifics, arguing that when the whole world bows to one person as to a god, there must be a serious underlying reason, prompting inquiry into that person’s qualities and the basis of their eminence.