सुधन्वोवाच
उदकं मधुपर्कं च पथ एवार्पितं मम ॥
प्रह्राद त्वं तु नौ प्रश्नं तथ्यं प्रब्रूहि पृच्छतोः ॥
प्रह्राद उवाच
पुत्रो वान्यो भवान् ब्रह्मन् साक्ष्ये चैव भवेत् स्थितः ॥
तयोर् विवदतोः प्रश्नं कथम् अस्मद्विधो वदेत् ॥
अथ यो नैव प्रब्रूयात् सत्यं वा यदि वानृतम् ॥
एतत् सुधन्वन् पृच्छामि दुर्विवक्ता स्म किं वसेत् ॥
सुधन्वोवाच
यां रात्रिम् अधिविन्ना स्त्री यां चैवाक्षपराजितः ॥
यां च भाराभितप्ताङ्गो दुर्विवक्ता स्म तां वसेत् ॥
नगरे प्रतिरुद्धः सन् बहिर्द्वारे बुभुक्षितः ॥
अमित्रान् भूयसः पश्यन् दुर्विवक्ता स्म तां वसेत् ॥
sudhanvovāca
udakaṃ madhuparkaṃ ca patha evārpitaṃ mama ||
prahrāda tvaṃ tu nau praśnaṃ tathyaṃ prabrūhi pṛcchatoḥ ||
prahrāda uvāca
putro vānyo bhavān brahman sākṣye caiva bhavet sthitaḥ ||
tayor vivadatoḥ praśnaṃ katham asmadvidho vadet ||
atha yo naiva prabrūyāt satyaṃ vā yadi vānṛtam ||
etat sudhanvan pṛcchāmi durvivaktā sma kiṃ vaset ||
sudhanvovāca
yāṃ rātrim adhivinnā strī yāṃ caivākṣaparājitaḥ ||
yāṃ ca bhārābhitaptāṅgo durvivaktā sma tāṃ vaset ||
nagare pratiruddhaḥ san bahirdvāre bubhukṣitaḥ ||
amitrān bhūyasaḥ paśyan durvivaktā sma tāṃ vaset ||
Sudhanvan said: "Water and madhuparka were already offered to me on the way. But you, Prahlada, must declare truthfully the question we two ask." Prahlada said: "O brahmana, this is my only son. You too are present here in person. How can one such as I answer a question over which you two have quarreled?" Sudhanvan said: "Give your son the cattle and other precious wealth that you possess, but, O wise one, you must speak the truth when we two dispute over it." Prahlada said: "How does one who misuses his tongue suffer, O Sudhanvan, who answers a question put to him not truthfully but falsely? I ask you this." Sudhanvan said: "One who misuses his tongue suffers as a forsaken wife languishes through the nights, seeing her husband asleep in the arms of another; as a man who has lost at dice, or one burdened with an unbearable weight of cares.
dfa58eb70581 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC
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The fragment 5.35.21-25 develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Dharma is revealed here through speech, the choice of an embassy, fidelity to promises, and kings' responsibility for the consequences of their decisions.