Shloka 43

अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः

Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation

Devanagari script

हीयमानेन वै सन्धि: पर्येष्टव्य:ः समेन वा । विग्रहो वर्धमानेन मतिरेषा बृहस्पते:,“बृहस्पतिकी यह नीति है कि जब अपना बल कम या बराबर जान पड़े तो शत्रुके साथ संधि कर लेनी चाहिये। लड़ाई तो उसी वक्त छेड़नी चाहिये, जब अपनी शक्ति शत्रुसे बढ़ी- चढ़ी हो

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

hīyamānena vai sandhiḥ paryeṣṭavyaḥ samena vā |

vigraho vardhamānena matireṣā bṛhaspateḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „So, heißt es, lautet der Rat Bṛhaspatis: Wenn die eigene Kraft schwindet — oder auch nur gleich groß ist — soll man einen Vertrag suchen. Wenn aber die Macht im Wachsen ist, dann soll man den offenen Kampf wählen.“

Word by Word

हीयमानेनwhen (one's power) is decreasing; by the decreasing (state)

वैindeed

सन्धिःpeace; treaty; alliance

पर्येष्टव्यःto be sought; should be pursued

समेनwhen (one is) equal; by an equal (state)

वाor

विग्रहःhostility; war; conflict

वर्धमानेनwhen (one's power) is increasing; by the increasing (state)

मतिःpolicy; counsel; view

एषाthis

बृहस्पतेःof Bृहस्पति

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bṛhaspati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a principle of statecraft: seek peace or alliance when your power is weakening or only equal to the opponent’s, but undertake war when your strength is increasing—attributing this pragmatic counsel to Bṛhaspati.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a maxim of political wisdom within the war narrative, framing decisions about treaty (sandhi) versus conflict (vigraha) as contingent on relative strength, and citing Bṛhaspati as the authoritative source.