स भवान् ईदृशं मित्रं मन्यते च यथा भवान् ॥
भवन्तश् च यथास्माकं भवतां च तथा वयम् ॥
स एवं सर्वधर्मज्ञो मित्रधर्मम् अनुस्मरन् ॥
नियच्छ मन्युं पाञ्चाल्यात् प्रशाम्य शिनिपुंगव ॥
पार्षतस्य क्षम त्वं वै क्षमतां तव पार्षतः ॥
वयं क्षमयितारश् च किम् अन्यत्र शमाद् भवेत् ॥
sa bhavān īdṛśaṃ mitraṃ manyate ca yathā bhavān ||
bhavantaś ca yathāsmākaṃ bhavatāṃ ca tathā vayam ||
sa evaṃ sarvadharmajño mitradharmam anusmaran ||
niyaccha manyuṃ pāñcālyāt praśāmya śinipuṃgava ||
pārṣatasya kṣama tvaṃ vai kṣamatāṃ tava pārṣataḥ ||
vayaṃ kṣamayitāraś ca kim anyatra śamād bhavet ||
"You consider such a friend as you consider yourself; and you are as ours, and ours are likewise yours [to one another]. You, thus a knower of all dharmas, remembering the duty of friendship, restrain your wrath at the Panchalya, be at peace, O bull of Shini. You forgive the son of Prishata, and let Parshata forgive you; and we shall be the reconcilers -- what [could be better] than peace?"
133133b34b5d · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Sahadeva crowns his plea with a question that admits no other answer: "what is better than peace?" What stands out is the mutual forgiveness to which he calls -- not one-sided, but reciprocal, with peacemakers as witnesses. The verse teaches that true reconciliation requires that both forgive, and that peacemakers stand beside them; and there is no greater good in discord than peace -- for peace restores what enmity only destroys.