Shloka 3
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Dialogue on Peace and the Refusal of Compromise
अलमर्ध पृथिव्यास्ते सहामात्यस्य जीवितुम् | प्रयच्छ पाण्डुपुत्राणां यथोचितमरिंदम
alam ardha-pṛthivyās te sahāmātyasya jīvitum | prayaccha pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ yathocitam ariṁ-dama ||
ধৃতরাষ্ট্র বললেন— হে শত্রুদমন, মন্ত্রীদেরসহ তোমার জীবিকা নির্বাহের জন্য অর্ধেক পৃথিবীই যথেষ্ট। অতএব পাণ্ডুপুত্রদের তাদের যথোচিত রাজ্যাংশ দাও।
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should uphold fairness and dharma by granting others their due share; greed for total sovereignty is ethically indefensible when a just division can preserve peace and legitimacy.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra urges the Kuru side (addressing the ‘subduer of foes’) to accept a reasonable settlement: keep half the realm as sufficient for themselves and their ministers, and give the Pāṇḍavas the portion that properly belongs to them, aiming to avert conflict.