Mahabharata · 2.44.21–22
॥
Devanāgarī
इदं तु सर्वं त्वं राज्ञे दुर्योधन निवेदय ॥
अनुज्ञातस् तु ते पित्रा विजेष्ये तं न संशयः ॥
दुर्योधन उवाच
त्वम् एव कुरुमुख्याय धृतराष्ट्राय सौबल ॥
निवेदय यथान्यायं नाहं शक्ष्ये निशंसितुम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
idaṃ tu sarvaṃ tvaṃ rājñe duryodhana nivedaya ||
anujñātas tu te pitrā vijeṣye taṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||
duryodhana uvāca
tvam eva kurumukhyāya dhṛtarāṣṭrāya saubala ||
nivedaya yathānyāyaṃ nāhaṃ śakṣye niśaṃsitum ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
इदं तु सर्वं त्वं राज्ञेidaṃ tu sarvaṃ tvaṃ rājñe"But all this, you shall tell to the king,
दुर्योधन निवेदयduryodhana nivedayaO Duryodhana;
अनुज्ञातस् तु ते पित्राanujñātas tu te pitrāonce permitted by your father,
विजेष्ये तं न संशयःvijeṣye taṃ na saṃśayaḥI shall conquer him, no doubt;
त्वम् एव कुरु-मुख्यायtvam eva kuru-mukhyāyabut you yourself, to the head of the Kurus,
धृतराष्ट्रायdhṛtarāṣṭrāyaDhritarashtra,
निवेदय यथा-न्यायंnivedaya yathā-nyāyaṃtell it as is proper;
न अहं शक्ष्ये निशंसितुम्na ahaṃ śakṣye niśaṃsitumI shall not be able to persuade [him]."
दुर्योधनduryodhanaoriginal form "duryodhana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुरुमुख्यायkurumukhyāyaoriginal form "kurumukhyāya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सौबलsaubalaoriginal form "saubala", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथान्यायंyathānyāyaṃoriginal form "yathānyāyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाहंnāhaṃoriginal form "nāhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"But all this you must tell to the king, Duryodhana; once permitted by your father, I shall conquer him, without doubt. You yourself tell it as is proper to Dhritarashtra, head of the Kurus; I shall not be able to persuade him."
Version
3068d599655e · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:22 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The scheme requires Dhritarashtra's consent -- and Shakuni entrusts the son with obtaining it, for a father's heart yields more readily to a son's plea. It is notable how evil arranges its own cover: lawlessness seeks approval from above, so that it may appear as though permitted. The verse teaches how ruinous is the weakness of an elder who is ready to yield to partiality for his son against dharma: one indulgent parent opens the door to disaster for an entire family. And the whole chain -- counselor, son, father -- shows how sin is committed not alone but by conspiracy: the wicked one schemes, the passionate one pleads, the weak one permits. Wherever firmness is lacking in any link, evil passes through unhindered.