Shloka 3
स्त्रीपर्व — अध्याय १५: गान्धारी-युधिष्ठिर-संवादः
Gandhārī’s Confrontation and Consolation of Yudhiṣṭhira
न हि युद्धेन पुत्रस्ते धर्म्येण स महाबल: । शक्य: केनचिदुद्यन्तुमतो विषममाचरम्,“आपके उस महाबली पुत्रको कोई भी धर्मानुकूल युद्ध करके मारनेका साहस नहीं कर सकता था; अतः मैंने विषमतापूर्ण बर्ताव किया
na hi yuddhena putras te dharmyeṇa sa mahābalaḥ | śakyaḥ kenacid udyantuṁ ato viṣamam ācaram ||
„Denn deinen Sohn, so übermächtig, hätte niemand in einem rechtmäßigen, regelgebundenen Kampf zu Fall bringen können. Darum griff ich zu einem ungleichen Weg—zu einem Verhalten, das vom fairen Zweikampf abweicht.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts dharmya-yuddha (righteous, rule-governed warfare) with viṣama-ācāra (uneven or unfair conduct), highlighting the ethical tension where perceived necessity leads one to abandon ideal standards of justice.
Vaishampayana reports a justification addressed to a listener: the opponent’s son was so powerful that no one could defeat him in a fair battle, and thus the speaker claims to have adopted an irregular or unfair method to bring about his fall.