कथं च धर्मयुक्तास् ते न च राज्यं जिहीर्षवः ॥
निवृत्तवासान् कौन्तेयान् य आहुर् विदिता इति ॥
अनुनीता हि भीष्मेण द्रोणेन च महात्मना ॥
न व्यवस्यन्ति पाण्डूनां प्रदातुं पैतृकं वसु ॥
अहं तु ताञ् शितैर् बाणैर् अनुनीय रणे बलात् ॥
पादयोः पातयिष्यामि कौन्तेयस्य महात्मनः ॥
अथ ते न व्यवस्यन्ति प्रणिपाताय धीमतः ॥
गमिष्यन्ति सहामात्या यमस्य सदनं प्रति ॥
न हि ते युयुधानस्य संरब्धस्य युयुत्सतः ॥
वेगं समर्थाः संसोढुं वज्रस्येव महीधराः ॥
kathaṃ ca dharmayuktās te na ca rājyaṃ jihīrṣavaḥ ||
nivṛttavāsān kaunteyān ya āhur viditā iti ||
anunītā hi bhīṣmeṇa droṇena ca mahātmanā ||
na vyavasyanti pāṇḍūnāṃ pradātuṃ paitṛkaṃ vasu ||
ahaṃ tu tāñ śitair bāṇair anunīya raṇe balāt ||
pādayoḥ pātayiṣyāmi kaunteyasya mahātmanaḥ ||
atha te na vyavasyanti praṇipātāya dhīmataḥ ||
gamiṣyanti sahāmātyā yamasya sadanaṃ prati ||
na hi te yuyudhānasya saṃrabdhasya yuyutsataḥ ||
vegaṃ samarthāḥ saṃsoḍhuṃ vajrasyeva mahīdharāḥ ||
Even if Yudhishthira coveted the wealth of others, it still would not befit him to beg! How can it be said that they are righteous and have no intention of usurping the throne, when, although the Pandavas endured their period in hiding unrecognized, they still claim that they were in fact recognized? Bhishma and the great-souled Drona have entreated them, yet they have not yet agreed to restore to the Pandavas the throne that is theirs by birthright. The means by which I shall entreat them will be sharp arrows. I shall fight, and with a strong arm I shall make them fall prostrate at the feet of the illustrious son of Kunti. But if they do not bow at the feet of wise Yudhishthira, then they and their followers shall have to depart for the realm of Yama.
54bbd7f56056 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:22:50 AM UTC
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This passage (5.3.11-15) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key themes: Bhishma, dharma. Here dharma is revealed through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.