नाधर्मो विद्यते कश् चिच् छत्रून् हत्वाततायिनः ॥
अधर्म्यम् अयशस्यं च शात्रवाणां प्रयाचनम् ॥
हृद्गतस् तस्य यः कामस् तं कुरुध्वम् अतन्द्रिताः ॥
निसृष्टं धृतराष्ट्रेण राज्यं प्राप्नोतु पाण्डवः ॥
अद्य पाण्डुसुतो राज्यं लभतां वा युधिष्ठिरः ॥
निहता वा रणे सर्वे स्वप्स्यन्ति वसुधातले ॥
nādharmo vidyate kaś cic chatrūn hatvātatāyinaḥ ||
adharmyam ayaśasyaṃ ca śātravāṇāṃ prayācanam ||
hṛdgatas tasya yaḥ kāmas taṃ kurudhvam atandritāḥ ||
nisṛṣṭaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa rājyaṃ prāpnotu pāṇḍavaḥ ||
adya pāṇḍusuto rājyaṃ labhatāṃ vā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
nihatā vā raṇe sarve svapsyanti vasudhātale ||
We shall slay in battle the son of Dhritarashtra, together with Shakuni and Karna, and place the Pandava upon the throne. There is no sin in slaying those who seek to slay us; but to beg before enemies is both unrighteous and shameful. I ask you to be diligent in carrying out what Yudhishthira sincerely desires. Let the son of Pandu regain the kingdom that Dhritarashtra relinquished! Either Yudhishthira shall regain his kingdom this very day, or all our enemies shall lie upon the ground, slain by me!'
53cb8c803fbb · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:22:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
This passage (5.3.21-23) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key themes: the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra. Here dharma is revealed through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.