एको ह्य् अपि बहून् हन्ति घ्नन्त्य् एकं बहवो ऽप्य् उत ॥
शूरं कापुरुषो हन्ति अयशस्वी यशस्विनम् ॥
जयश् चैवोभयोर् दृष्ट उभयोश् च पराजयः ॥
तथैवापचयो दृष्टो व्यपयाने क्षयव्ययौ ॥
सर्वथा वृजिनं युद्धं को घ्नन् न प्रतिहन्यते ॥
हतस्य च हृषीकेश समौ जयपराजयौ ॥
पराजयश् च मरणान् मन्ये नैव विशिष्यते ॥
यस्य स्याद् विजयः कृष्ण तस्याप्य् अपचयो ध्रुवम् ॥
अन्ततो दयितं घ्नन्ति के चिद् अप्य् अपरे जनाः ॥
तस्याङ्ग बलहीनस्य पुत्रान् भ्रातॄन् अपश्यतः ॥
निर्वेदो जीविते कृष्ण सर्वतश् चोपजायते ॥
eko hy api bahūn hanti ghnanty ekaṃ bahavo 'py uta ||
śūraṃ kāpuruṣo hanti ayaśasvī yaśasvinam ||
jayaś caivobhayor dṛṣṭa ubhayoś ca parājayaḥ ||
tathaivāpacayo dṛṣṭo vyapayāne kṣayavyayau ||
sarvathā vṛjinaṃ yuddhaṃ ko ghnan na pratihanyate ||
hatasya ca hṛṣīkeśa samau jayaparājayau ||
parājayaś ca maraṇān manye naiva viśiṣyate ||
yasya syād vijayaḥ kṛṣṇa tasyāpy apacayo dhruvam ||
antato dayitaṃ ghnanti ke cid apy apare janāḥ ||
tasyāṅga balahīnasya putrān bhrātṝn apaśyataḥ ||
nirvedo jīvite kṛṣṇa sarvataś copajāyate ||
"One man alone slays many, and many together slay one; a coward may even slay a hero, and one inglorious may slay one renowned. Victory as well as defeat is seen for both sides; likewise, in retreat, ruin and loss are seen on both sides. War is wrongdoing in every way — who, killing, is not struck down in turn? For the slain, O Hrishikesha, victory and defeat are equal; and defeat, I think, is no different at all from death. Whoever attains victory, O Krishna, surely suffers loss as well. In the end, some men even kill those they love, and others kill still others. For one deprived of strength, dear friend, unable to see his own sons and brothers — disgust with life, O Krishna, arises from every side."
c4230a9bb0cb · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:56:09 AM UTC
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This passage develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace unfolds even as war draws near and seems unavoidable. Key themes: Krishna, war. Dharma here comes to light through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.