लब्ध्वापीमां पृथिवीं सागरान्तां; जरामृत्यू नैव हि त्वं प्रजह्याः ॥
प्रियाप्रिये सुखदुःखे च राजन्न्; एवं विद्वान् नैव युद्धं कुरुष्व ॥
अमात्यानां यदि कामस्य हेतोर्; एवंयुक्तं कर्म चिकीर्षसि त्वम् ॥
अपाक्रमेः संप्रदाय स्वम् एभ्यो; मा गास् त्वं वै देवयानात् पथो ऽद्य ॥
labdhvāpīmāṃ pṛthivīṃ sāgarāntāṃ; jarāmṛtyū naiva hi tvaṃ prajahyāḥ ||
priyāpriye sukhaduḥkhe ca rājann; evaṃ vidvān naiva yuddhaṃ kuruṣva ||
amātyānāṃ yadi kāmasya hetor; evaṃyuktaṃ karma cikīrṣasi tvam ||
apākrameḥ saṃpradāya svam ebhyo; mā gās tvaṃ vai devayānāt patho 'dya ||
Forbearance would serve you better than a love of pleasures that would have Bhīṣma slain, and Droṇa with his son, and Kṛpa, and the son of Somadatta, and Vikarṇa and Vivimśati, and Karṇa and Duryodhana. Having slain all these men, what happiness would you gain, O son of Pṛthā? Tell me this! Even having conquered the whole earth girded by the ocean, you will never be free from decrepitude and death, from pleasure and pain, from bliss and misfortune. Knowing all this, do not enter upon war. If you wish to take this path because your counselors desire the same, then give it all over to them and flee. You must not turn aside from the path that leads to the realm of the gods!'
0c93df0dd178 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:43:08 AM UTC
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This passage (5.27.26-27) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace unfolds against the backdrop of an already inevitable war. Key theme: war. Dharma here is revealed through speech, through the choice of an embassy, through fidelity to one's word, and through a king's responsibility for the consequences of his decision.