एकः पापानि कुरुते फलं भुङ्क्ते महाजनः ॥
भोक्तारो विप्रमुच्यन्ते कर्ता दोषेण लिप्यते ॥
एकं हन्यान् न वा हन्याद् इषुर् मुक्तो धनुष्मता ॥
बुद्धिर् बुद्धिमतोत्सृष्टा हन्याद् राष्ट्रं सराजकम् ॥
एकया द्वे विनिश्चित्य त्रींश् चतुर्भिर् वशे कुरु ॥
पञ्च जित्वा विदित्वा षट् सप्त हित्वा सुखी भव ॥
एकं विषरसो हन्ति शस्त्रेणैकश् च वध्यते ॥
सराष्ट्रं सप्रजं हन्ति राजानं मन्त्रविस्रवः ॥
एकः स्वादु न भुञ्जीत एकश् चार्थान् न चिन्तयेत् ॥
एको न गच्छेद् अध्वानं नैकः सुप्तेषु जागृयात् ॥
ekaḥ pāpāni kurute phalaṃ bhuṅkte mahājanaḥ ||
bhoktāro vipramucyante kartā doṣeṇa lipyate ||
ekaṃ hanyān na vā hanyād iṣur mukto dhanuṣmatā ||
buddhir buddhimatotsṛṣṭā hanyād rāṣṭraṃ sarājakam ||
ekayā dve viniścitya trīṃś caturbhir vaśe kuru ||
pañca jitvā viditvā ṣaṭ sapta hitvā sukhī bhava ||
ekaṃ viṣaraso hanti śastreṇaikaś ca vadhyate ||
sarāṣṭraṃ saprajaṃ hanti rājānaṃ mantravisravaḥ ||
ekaḥ svādu na bhuñjīta ekaś cārthān na cintayet ||
eko na gacched adhvānaṃ naikaḥ supteṣu jāgṛyāt ||
A fire falling on bare ground goes out of itself. An unforgiving man defiles himself with many disgraces. Righteousness is the highest good; forgiveness is the highest peace; knowledge is the highest satisfaction; and benevolence is the one and only happiness. As a serpent devours creatures dwelling in burrows, so does the earth devour these two: a king incapable of fighting, and a brahmin who does not visit holy places. A man may attain renown in this world by doing two things, namely, refraining from harsh speech and paying no heed to the wicked. O tiger among men, these two have no will of their own: those women who crave men merely because other women of their kind crave them, and that man who worships another merely because others worship him. These two are like sharp thorns piercing the body: the desires of the poor man and the wrath of the powerless. These two men never shine, on account of their contrary conduct: the householder who is without effort, and the beggar engaged in scheming.
d514e61054fb · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
This passage, 5.33.41-45, develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already unfolding against the backdrop of inevitable war. Dharma here reveals itself through speech, the choice of envoys, fidelity to promises, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.