Shloka 666
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
पृथिवीं दातुकामो5पि जीवितेन विमोक्ष्यसे । तुम तो केवल मूर्खतावश विवेक खो बैठे हो; इसीलिये यह नहीं समझते कि आज भूमि देनेकी इच्छा करनेपर भी तुम्हें अपने जीवनसे हाथ धोना पड़ेगा
pṛthivīṃ dātukāmo 'pi jīvitena vimokṣyase |
যুধিষ্ঠিৰে ক’লে— তুমি পৃথিৱী দিবলৈ ইচ্ছা কৰিলেও জীৱন ৰক্ষা কৰি মুক্তি নাপাবা; তাৰ মূল্য তোমাৰ প্ৰাণ। মূঢ়তাত তোমাৰ বিবেক নষ্ট হৈছে; সেয়ে তুমি বুজি নাপাও— আজি ভূমি দানৰ ইচ্ছা থাকিলেও জীৱনত্যাগ অনিবার্য।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Good intentions expressed too late do not cancel the moral and practical consequences of prior wrongdoing. In a dharmic frame, responsibility is not avoided by last-minute concessions; discernment (viveka) is required to see that certain actions inevitably demand a costly reckoning.
Yudhiṣṭhira rebukes an opponent (or interlocutor) who proposes giving land as a settlement. He warns that the offer comes after the situation has crossed a point of no return: even if land is offered now, the speaker will not be spared and will have to lose his life.