व्यास उवाच
तद् इन्द्रः सुरभीवाक्यं निशम्य भृशविस्मितः ॥
जीवितेनापि कौरव्य मेने ऽभ्यधिकम् आत्मजम् ॥
प्रववर्ष च तत्रैव सहसा तोयम् उल्बणम् ॥
कर्षकस्याचरन् विघ्नं भगवान् पाकशासनः ॥
तद् यथा सुरभिः प्राह समम् एवास्तु ते तथा ॥
सुतेषु राजन् सर्वेषु दीनेष्व् अभ्यधिका कृपा ॥
यादृशो मे सुतः पण्डुस् तादृशो मे ऽसि पुत्रक ॥
विदुरश् च महाप्राज्ञः स्नेहाद् एतद् ब्रवीम्य् अहम् ॥
चिराय तव पुत्राणां शतम् एकश् च पार्थिव ॥
पाण्डोः पञ्चैव लक्ष्यन्ते ते ऽपि मन्दाः सुदुःखिताः ॥
कथं जीवेयुर् अत्यन्तं कथं वर्धेयुर् इत्य् अपि ॥
इति दीनेषु पार्थेषु मनो मे परितप्यते ॥
यदि पार्थिव कौरव्याञ् जीवमानान् इहेच्छसि ॥
दुर्योधनस् तव सुतः शमं गच्छतु पाण्डवैः ॥
vyāsa uvāca
tad indraḥ surabhīvākyaṃ niśamya bhṛśavismitaḥ ||
jīvitenāpi kauravya mene 'bhyadhikam ātmajam ||
pravavarṣa ca tatraiva sahasā toyam ulbaṇam ||
karṣakasyācaran vighnaṃ bhagavān pākaśāsanaḥ ||
tad yathā surabhiḥ prāha samam evāstu te tathā ||
suteṣu rājan sarveṣu dīneṣv abhyadhikā kṛpā ||
yādṛśo me sutaḥ paṇḍus tādṛśo me 'si putraka ||
viduraś ca mahāprājñaḥ snehād etad bravīmy aham ||
cirāya tava putrāṇāṃ śatam ekaś ca pārthiva ||
pāṇḍoḥ pañcaiva lakṣyante te 'pi mandāḥ suduḥkhitāḥ ||
kathaṃ jīveyur atyantaṃ kathaṃ vardheyur ity api ||
iti dīneṣu pārtheṣu mano me paritapyate ||
yadi pārthiva kauravyāñ jīvamānān ihecchasi ||
duryodhanas tava sutaḥ śamaṃ gacchatu pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
Vyasa said: "Hearing Surabhi's words, Indra was greatly astonished and deemed a son dearer than life itself. At that very moment the lord Pakashasana poured down abundant rain there, hindering the plowman. As Surabhi said, so let it be with you, O king: toward all your sons — an equal feeling, but toward the wretched — greater pity. As the son of Pandu is to me, so are you, my son; and so too is the greatly wise Vidura. Out of love I say this. You, O king, have a hundred and one sons, long-lived; of Pandu's sons only five are seen, and they are now helpless and greatly afflicted. How are they to live? How are they to prosper? From these thoughts about the suffering Parthas my mind is tormented. If you wish the Kauravas to live, O king, let your son Duryodhana come to peace with the Pandavas."
9a110f338fc9 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:33:28 PM UTC
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The parable closes the chapter gently, but not weakly. Vyasa does not take from Dhritarashtra his love for Duryodhana; he widens it to include those sons who are now under the yoke. In this way compassion becomes the measure of a king's justice.