Shloka 8
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
अप्रदानेन राज्यस्य शान्तिमस्मासु मार्गति । लुब्ध: पापेन मनसा चरन्नसममात्मन:
apradānena rājyasya śāntim asmāsu mārgati | lubdhaḥ pāpena manasā carann asamam ātmanaḥ ||
যুধিষ্ঠির বললেন—রাজ্য না দিয়েই সে আমাদের সঙ্গে সন্ধি খুঁজছে। লোভে চালিত, পাপে কলুষিত মনে, নিজের মর্যাদার অনুরূপ আচরণ না করে সে শান্তির পথ অন্বেষণ করছে।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Peace-making is ethically hollow when it is pursued without justice. Yudhiṣṭhira criticizes a reconciliation that refuses rightful restitution (the kingdom), portraying such ‘peace’ as rooted in greed and moral corruption rather than dharma.
In the lead-up to war, Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the Kuru court’s stance: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as characterized here) seeks a treaty with the Pāṇḍavas while withholding the kingdom, revealing a negotiation strategy driven by attachment and fear rather than fair settlement.