बाहुभ्याम् उद्धरेद् भूमिं दहेत् क्रुद्ध इमाः प्रजाः ॥
पातयेत् त्रिदिवाद् देवान् यो ऽर्जुनं समरे जयेत् ॥
पश्य पुत्रांस् तथा भ्रातॄञ् ज्ञातीन् संबन्धिनस् तथा ॥
त्वत्कृते न विनश्येयुर् एते भरतसत्तम ॥
अस्तु शेषं कौरवाणां मा पराभूद् इदं कुलम् ॥
कुलघ्न इति नोच्येथा नष्टकीर्तिर् नराधिप ॥
त्वाम् एव स्थापयिष्यन्ति यौवराज्ये महारथाः ॥
महाराज्ये च पितरं धृतराष्ट्रं जनेश्वरम् ॥
मा तात श्रियम् आयान्तीम् अवमंस्थाः समुद्यताम् ॥
अर्धं प्रदाय पार्थेभ्यो महतीं श्रियम् आप्स्यसि ॥
bāhubhyām uddhared bhūmiṃ dahet kruddha imāḥ prajāḥ ||
pātayet tridivād devān yo 'rjunaṃ samare jayet ||
paśya putrāṃs tathā bhrātṝñ jñātīn saṃbandhinas tathā ||
tvatkṛte na vinaśyeyur ete bharatasattama ||
astu śeṣaṃ kauravāṇāṃ mā parābhūd idaṃ kulam ||
kulaghna iti nocyethā naṣṭakīrtir narādhipa ||
tvām eva sthāpayiṣyanti yauvarājye mahārathāḥ ||
mahārājye ca pitaraṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janeśvaram ||
mā tāta śriyam āyāntīm avamaṃsthāḥ samudyatām ||
ardhaṃ pradāya pārthebhyo mahatīṃ śriyam āpsyasi ||
"The one who could defeat Arjuna in battle could lift up the earth with his bare arms, burn these peoples in his wrath, and cast the gods down from the third heaven. Look upon your sons, brothers, kinsmen, and relatives: let them not perish for your sake, O best of the Bharatas. Let a remnant of the Kauravas remain; let this clan not perish. Let no one call you the destroyer of the clan, O lord of men, stripped of glory. The great chariot-warriors will install you as heir, and your father Dhritarashtra, lord of the people, upon the supreme throne. Do not scorn, my child, the fortune that comes to you ready at hand; by giving the Parthas their half, you will attain great glory."
9ced4decce6b · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:51:08 AM UTC
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Krishna addresses his teaching to Duryodhana directly and practically: to set aside pride, listen to friends, hold to dharma, and choose peace with the Pandavas. The point of this passage is not abstract morality but a warning of the concrete destruction of the clan, should the desire for power be placed above truth, kinship, and good sense.