ज्ञातयो वर्धनीयास् तैर् य इच्छन्त्य् आत्मनः शुभम् ॥
कुलवृद्धिं च राजेन्द्र तस्मात् साधु समाचर ॥
श्रेयसा योक्ष्यसे राजन् कुर्वाणो ज्ञातिसत्क्रियाम् ॥
विगुणा ह्य् अपि संरक्ष्या ज्ञातयो भरतर्षभ ॥
किं पुनर् गुणवन्तस् ते त्वत्प्रसादाभिकाङ्क्षिणः ॥
प्रसादं कुरु दीनानां पाण्डवानां विशां पते ॥
दीयन्तां ग्रामकाः के चित् तेषां वृत्त्यर्थम् ईश्वर ॥
एवं लोके यशःप्राप्तो भविष्यसि नराधिप ॥
वृद्धेन हि त्वया कार्यं पुत्राणां तात रक्षणम् ॥
मया चापि हितं वाच्यं विद्धि मां त्वद्धितैषिणम् ॥
jñātayo vardhanīyās tair ya icchanty ātmanaḥ śubham ||
kulavṛddhiṃ ca rājendra tasmāt sādhu samācara ||
śreyasā yokṣyase rājan kurvāṇo jñātisatkriyām ||
viguṇā hy api saṃrakṣyā jñātayo bharatarṣabha ||
kiṃ punar guṇavantas te tvatprasādābhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||
prasādaṃ kuru dīnānāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ viśāṃ pate ||
dīyantāṃ grāmakāḥ ke cit teṣāṃ vṛttyartham īśvara ||
evaṃ loke yaśaḥprāpto bhaviṣyasi narādhipa ||
vṛddhena hi tvayā kāryaṃ putrāṇāṃ tāta rakṣaṇam ||
mayā cāpi hitaṃ vācyaṃ viddhi māṃ tvaddhitaiṣiṇam ||
O bull of the Bharata race, how much more should those be protected who are endowed with every virtue and humbly await your favor? Show grace, O king, to the heroic sons of Pandu, and let some villages be set aside for their maintenance. Doing so, O king, you will win fame in this world. You are old; therefore you should hold your sons in check. I must tell you what is for your good. Know me as one who wishes you well. He who desires his own good should never quarrel, O sovereign, with his kinsmen. O bull of the Bharata race, happiness should always be enjoyed together with one's kinsmen, not apart from them: eating together, conversing with one another, and loving one another — this is what kinsmen must always do. They should never quarrel. In this world kinsmen save, and kinsmen also ruin, kinsmen. Those among them who are righteous save; the unrighteous sink (their brothers). O king, be righteous, O bestower of honor, in your conduct toward the sons of Pandu. Surrounded by them, you will be unconquerable to your enemies.
06cdf81117ad · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC
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This passage (5.39.16-20) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace unfolds against the backdrop of an already looming war. Key themes: the Pandavas. Dharma is revealed here through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.