आम्नायेषु नित्यसंयोगम् अस्य; तथाश्वमेधे राजसूये च विद्धि ॥
संयुज्यते धनुषा वर्मणा च; हस्तत्राणै रथशस्त्रैश् च भूयः ॥
ते चेद् इमे कौरवाणाम् उपायम्; अधिगच्छेयुर् अवधेनैव पार्थाः ॥
धर्मत्राणं पुण्यम् एषां कृतं स्याद्; आर्ये वृत्ते भीमसेनं निगृह्य ॥
ते चेत् पित्र्ये कर्मणि वर्तमाना; आपद्येरन् दिष्टवशेन मृत्युम् ॥
यथाशक्त्या पूरयन्तः स्वकर्म; तद् अप्य् एषां निधनं स्यात् प्रशस्तम् ॥
उताहो त्वं मन्यसे सर्वम् एव; राज्ञां युद्धे वर्तते धर्मतन्त्रम् ॥
अयुद्धे वा वर्तते धर्मतन्त्रं; तथैव ते वाचम् इमां शृणोमि ॥
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य प्रथमं विभागम्; अवेक्ष्य त्वं संजय स्वं च कर्म ॥
निशम्याथो पाण्डवानां स्वकर्म; प्रशंस वा निन्द वा या मतिस् ते ॥
āmnāyeṣu nityasaṃyogam asya; tathāśvamedhe rājasūye ca viddhi ||
saṃyujyate dhanuṣā varmaṇā ca; hastatrāṇai rathaśastraiś ca bhūyaḥ ||
te ced ime kauravāṇām upāyam; adhigaccheyur avadhenaiva pārthāḥ ||
dharmatrāṇaṃ puṇyam eṣāṃ kṛtaṃ syād; ārye vṛtte bhīmasenaṃ nigṛhya ||
te cet pitrye karmaṇi vartamānā; āpadyeran diṣṭavaśena mṛtyum ||
yathāśaktyā pūrayantaḥ svakarma; tad apy eṣāṃ nidhanaṃ syāt praśastam ||
utāho tvaṃ manyase sarvam eva; rājñāṃ yuddhe vartate dharmatantram ||
ayuddhe vā vartate dharmatantraṃ; tathaiva te vācam imāṃ śṛṇomi ||
cāturvarṇyasya prathamaṃ vibhāgam; avekṣya tvaṃ saṃjaya svaṃ ca karma ||
niśamyātho pāṇḍavānāṃ svakarma; praśaṃsa vā ninda vā yā matis te ||
You should know that Yudhishthira is constantly engaged in the study of the Vedas. He is inclined toward the horse sacrifice and the rajasuya. Again, he rides on horses and elephants, dons armor, mounts a chariot, and takes up the bow and every kind of weapon. Now, if the sons of Pritha see a course of action that does not involve the killing of the sons of Kuru, they will accept it. Then their virtue will be preserved, and they will also perform an act of religious merit, even if it means compelling Bhima to follow a course marked by humanity. On the other hand, if, doing what their ancestors did, they were to meet death under inescapable fate, then, striving with all their might to fulfill their duty, such a death would be even worthy of praise. Suppose you approve only of peace -- I would like to hear what you have to say on this question: in which direction do the precepts of religious law lie, namely, is it fitting for a king to fight, or not? You must, O Sanjaya, take into account the division into the four castes and the scheme of duties assigned to each. You must hear what course of action the Pandavas intend to pursue.
74324d8d2c45 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:43:08 AM UTC
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This fragment (5.29.16-20) 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, Sanjaya, war, dharma. Here dharma is revealed through speech, the choice of embassy, faithfulness to one's word, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.