तैर् विप्रकारं च निशम्य राज्ञः; सुहृज्जनास् तान् परिवारयेयुः ॥
युद्धेन बाधेयुर् इमांस् तथैव; तैर् वध्यमाना युधि तांश् च हन्युः ॥
तथापि नेमे ऽल्पतया समर्थास्; तेषां जयायेति भवेन् मतं वः ॥
समेत्य सर्वे सहिताः सुहृद्भिस्; तेषां विनाशाय यतेयुर् एव ॥
दुर्योधनस्यापि मतं यथावन्; न ज्ञायते किं नु करिष्यतीति ॥
अज्ञायमाने च मते परस्य; किं स्यात् समारभ्यतमं मतं वः ॥
तस्माद् इतो गच्छतु धर्मशीलः; शुचिः कुलीनः पुरुषो ऽप्रमत्तः ॥
दूतः समर्थः प्रशमाय तेषां; राज्यार्धदानाय युधिष्ठिरस्य ॥
निशम्य वाक्यं तु जनार्दनस्य; धर्मार्थयुक्तं मधुरं समं च ॥
समाददे वाक्यम् अथाग्रजो ऽस्य; संपूज्य वाक्यं तद् अतीव राजन् ॥
tair viprakāraṃ ca niśamya rājñaḥ; suhṛjjanās tān parivārayeyuḥ ||
yuddhena bādheyur imāṃs tathaiva; tair vadhyamānā yudhi tāṃś ca hanyuḥ ||
tathāpi neme 'lpatayā samarthās; teṣāṃ jayāyeti bhaven mataṃ vaḥ ||
sametya sarve sahitāḥ suhṛdbhis; teṣāṃ vināśāya yateyur eva ||
duryodhanasyāpi mataṃ yathāvan; na jñāyate kiṃ nu kariṣyatīti ||
ajñāyamāne ca mate parasya; kiṃ syāt samārabhyatamaṃ mataṃ vaḥ ||
tasmād ito gacchatu dharmaśīlaḥ; śuciḥ kulīnaḥ puruṣo 'pramattaḥ ||
dūtaḥ samarthaḥ praśamāya teṣāṃ; rājyārdhadānāya yudhiṣṭhirasya ||
niśamya vākyaṃ tu janārdanasya; dharmārthayuktaṃ madhuraṃ samaṃ ca ||
samādade vākyam athāgrajo 'sya; saṃpūjya vākyaṃ tad atīva rājan ||
It is not known what Duryodhana thinks or what he may do. When the other side's intention is unknown, what course can you determine to be best? Therefore let a man — virtuous, honest, of honorable birth, and prudent — a capable envoy, undertake to gently persuade them to give half the kingdom to Yudhishthira. Having heard Krishna's speech, marked by wisdom and regard for virtue, and displaying a peaceable and impartial spirit, his elder brother then addressed the assembly, bestowing high praise on his younger brother's words.
971fd5258f75 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:22:50 AM UTC
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This passage (5.1.21-25) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort for peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key themes: Duryodhana, war, dharma. Here dharma reveals itself through speech, the choice of an envoy, faithfulness to promises, and the kings' responsibility for the consequences of their decisions.