श्रोत्रियस्येव ते राजन् मन्दकस्याविपश्चितः ॥
अनुवाकहता बुद्धिर् धर्मम् एवैकम् ईक्षते ॥
अङ्गावेक्षस्व धर्मं त्वं यथा सृष्टः स्वयंभुवा ॥
उरस्तः क्षत्रियः सृष्टो बाहुवीर्योपजीविता ॥
क्रूराय कर्मणे नित्यं प्रजानां परिपालने ॥
शृणु चात्रोपमाम् एकां या वृद्धेभ्यः श्रुता मया ॥
मुचुकुन्दस्य राजर्षेर् अददात् पृथिवीम् इमाम् ॥
पुरा वैश्रवणः प्रीतो न चासौ तां गृहीतवान् ॥
बाहुवीर्यार्जितं राज्यम् अश्नीयाम् इति कामये ॥
ततो वैश्रवणः प्रीतो विस्मितः समपद्यत ॥
मुचुकुन्दस् ततो राजा सो ऽन्वशासद् वसुंधराम् ॥
बाहुवीर्यार्जितां सम्यक् क्षत्रधर्मम् अनुव्रतः ॥
śrotriyasyeva te rājan mandakasyāvipaścitaḥ ||
anuvākahatā buddhir dharmam evaikam īkṣate ||
aṅgāvekṣasva dharmaṃ tvaṃ yathā sṛṣṭaḥ svayaṃbhuvā ||
urastaḥ kṣatriyaḥ sṛṣṭo bāhuvīryopajīvitā ||
krūrāya karmaṇe nityaṃ prajānāṃ paripālane ||
śṛṇu cātropamām ekāṃ yā vṛddhebhyaḥ śrutā mayā ||
mucukundasya rājarṣer adadāt pṛthivīm imām ||
purā vaiśravaṇaḥ prīto na cāsau tāṃ gṛhītavān ||
bāhuvīryārjitaṃ rājyam aśnīyām iti kāmaye ||
tato vaiśravaṇaḥ prīto vismitaḥ samapadyata ||
mucukundas tato rājā so 'nvaśāsad vasuṃdharām ||
bāhuvīryārjitāṃ samyak kṣatradharmam anuvrataḥ ||
"O king, your mind resembles that of a weak and undiscerning scholar overwhelmed by mere recitation, who sees only one side of dharma. Therefore consider dharma as it was established by the Self-existent. The kshatriya was created from the chest and lives by the strength of his arms: he is destined for a stern task — the ceaseless protection of his subjects. Hear here one example that I heard from my elders. Once Vaishravana, well pleased, offered the royal sage Muchukunda this whole earth, but he did not accept it. 'I wish to enjoy a kingdom won by the strength of my own arms,' he said. Then Vaishravana was pleased and astonished. After that King Muchukunda ruled the earth won by the strength of his arms, faithfully following the dharma of the kshatriya."
5e0758f761e5 · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:51:08 AM UTC
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Kunti does not reject dharma; she demands that it be seen in full. For a kshatriya, dharma is not reducible to passive harmlessness: the protection of subjects and the restoration of justice require strength, resolve, and responsibility.