बृहस्पतिर् उवाच
शरणागतां न त्यजेयम् इन्द्राणि मम निश्चितम् ॥
धर्मज्ञां धर्मशीलां च न त्यजे त्वाम् अनिन्दिते ॥
नाकार्यं कर्तुम् इच्छामि ब्राह्मणः सन् विशेषतः ॥
श्रुतधर्मा सत्यशीलो जानन् धर्मानुशासनम् ॥
नाहम् एतत् करिष्यामि गच्छध्वं वै सुरोत्तमाः ॥
अस्मिंश् चार्थे पुरा गीतं ब्रह्मणा श्रूयताम् इदम् ॥
न तस्य बीजं रोहति बीजकाले; न चास्य वर्षं वर्षति वर्षकाले ॥
भीतं प्रपन्नं प्रददाति शत्रवे; न सो ऽन्तरं लभते त्राणम् इच्छन् ॥
मोघम् अन्नं विन्दति चाप्य् अचेताः; स्वर्गाल् लोकाद् भ्रश्यति नष्टचेष्टः ॥
भीतं प्रपन्नं प्रददाति यो वै; न तस्य हव्यं प्रतिगृह्णन्ति देवाः ॥
bṛhaspatir uvāca
śaraṇāgatāṃ na tyajeyam indrāṇi mama niścitam ||
dharmajñāṃ dharmaśīlāṃ ca na tyaje tvām anindite ||
nākāryaṃ kartum icchāmi brāhmaṇaḥ san viśeṣataḥ ||
śrutadharmā satyaśīlo jānan dharmānuśāsanam ||
nāham etat kariṣyāmi gacchadhvaṃ vai surottamāḥ ||
asmiṃś cārthe purā gītaṃ brahmaṇā śrūyatām idam ||
na tasya bījaṃ rohati bījakāle; na cāsya varṣaṃ varṣati varṣakāle ||
bhītaṃ prapannaṃ pradadāti śatrave; na so 'ntaraṃ labhate trāṇam icchan ||
mogham annaṃ vindati cāpy acetāḥ; svargāl lokād bhraśyati naṣṭaceṣṭaḥ ||
bhītaṃ prapannaṃ pradadāti yo vai; na tasya havyaṃ pratigṛhṇanti devāḥ ||
"I have no wish to commit a wrongful act, especially since I am a brahmana who knows what righteousness is, who honors truth, and who is aware also of the precepts of virtue. I shall never do this. Go your way, O best of the gods. Hear what Brahma once sang concerning this very matter. Whoever hands over to an enemy a man who is frightened and seeking protection obtains no protection himself when he stands in need of it. His seed does not sprout at sowing time, and rain does not fall for him in the season of rain. He who hands over to an enemy a man who is frightened and seeking protection never succeeds in anything he undertakes; however senseless he may be, he falls, paralyzed, from heaven; the gods refuse the offerings he makes."
a626e8caaf5e · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:31:48 AM UTC
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The passage 5.12.16-20 develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an unavoidable war. Key themes: dharma. Here dharma reveals itself through speech, the choice of envoys, fidelity to promises, and the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.