Shloka 55
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
अन्ततो दयितं घ्नन्ति केचिदप्यपरे जना: । तस्याज़् बलहीनस्य पुत्रान् भ्रातृनपश्यत:
antato dayitaṃ ghnanti kecid apy apare janāḥ | tasyābalahīnasya putrān bhrātṝn apaśyataḥ ||
尤提希提罗说道：“到最后，有些人甚至会下手杀死自己最珍爱之物；他人亦复如是——杀其所爱，而那人力弱无援，只能眼睁睁看着，不能护住自己的儿子与兄弟。此乃力量崩落、正道被弃时所滋生的残酷。”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral collapse where attachment and kinship no longer restrain violence: when dharma is eclipsed and a person becomes powerless, even the dearest relations (sons and brothers) can be destroyed before one’s eyes. It warns that loss of strength and loss of righteousness together enable extreme cruelty.
In the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on human conduct and the tragic outcomes of conflict. He describes a situation where a helpless person must witness harm done to his closest family—an image used to underscore the urgency of ethical restraint and the dangers of escalating hostility.