वाचं स वदतां श्रेष्ठो ह्लादिनीं वचनक्षमाम् ॥
त्रासनीं धार्तराष्ट्राणां मृदुपूर्वां सुदारुणाम् ॥
वाचं तां वचनार्हस्य शिक्षाक्षरसमन्विताम् ॥
अश्रौषम् अहम् इष्टार्थां पश्चाद् धृदयशोषिणीम् ॥
वासुदेव उवाच
संजयेदं वचो ब्रूया धृतराष्ट्रं मनीषिणम् ॥
शृण्वतः कुरुमुख्यस्य द्रोणस्यापि च शृण्वतः ॥
यजध्वं विपुलैर् यज्ञैर् विप्रेभ्यो दत्त दक्षिणाः ॥
पुत्रैर् दारैश् च मोदध्वं महद् वो भयम् आगतम् ॥
अर्थांस् त्यजत पात्रेभ्यः सुतान् प्राप्नुत कामजान् ॥
प्रियं प्रियेभ्यश् चरत राजा हि त्वरते जये ॥
vācaṃ sa vadatāṃ śreṣṭho hlādinīṃ vacanakṣamām ||
trāsanīṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ mṛdupūrvāṃ sudāruṇām ||
vācaṃ tāṃ vacanārhasya śikṣākṣarasamanvitām ||
aśrauṣam aham iṣṭārthāṃ paścād dhṛdayaśoṣiṇīm ||
vāsudeva uvāca
saṃjayedaṃ vaco brūyā dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ manīṣiṇam ||
śṛṇvataḥ kurumukhyasya droṇasyāpi ca śṛṇvataḥ ||
yajadhvaṃ vipulair yajñair viprebhyo datta dakṣiṇāḥ ||
putrair dāraiś ca modadhvaṃ mahad vo bhayam āgatam ||
arthāṃs tyajata pātrebhyaḥ sutān prāpnuta kāmajān ||
priyaṃ priyebhyaś carata rājā hi tvarate jaye ||
Either I, slaying the Pandavas, shall rule this Earth, or the sons of Pandu, slaying me, shall enjoy this Earth. O king, O you of unfading glory, I would sacrifice my life, my kingdom, my wealth, everything — but I could not live side by side with the Pandavas. O revered one, I will not yield to the Pandavas even so much land as the point of a needle could cover.' Dhritarashtra said: 'Now I abandon Duryodhana forever. Yet still I grieve for all of you, O kings, who will follow this fool as he sets out for the abode of Yama. Like tigers among a herd of deer, the sons of Pandu, foremost of destroyers, will crush your chief leaders assembled for battle. I think that the army of Bharata, like a helpless woman, will be struck down and shattered, and driven far off by the long-armed Yuyudhana.
ecfe35453ee8 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:51:26 AM UTC
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The passage 5.58.16-20 develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace already unfolds against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key figures here are Krishna, Dhritarashtra, and Sanjaya. Dharma reveals itself through speech, through the choice of an embassy, through fidelity to one's promises, and through the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.