Shloka 1
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ७७: पुरुषकार–दैवसंयोगः तथा दुष्टमन्त्रपरामर्शस्य राजनैतिक-परिणामः
Human Effort, Contingency, and the Political Effects of Corrupt Counsel
ऑपन--माज छा जज अष्टसप्ततितमोब< ध्याय: अर्जुनका कथन अर्जुन उवाच उक्त युधिष्ठिरेणैव यावद् वाच्यं जनार्दन । तव वाक्यं तु मे श्रुत्वा प्रतिभाति परंतप
Arjuna uvāca | uktaṃ Yudhiṣṭhireṇaiva yāvad vācyaṃ Janārdana | tava vākyaṃ tu me śrutvā pratibhāti parantapa | dhṛtarāṣṭrasya lobhāt ca asmākaṃ ca prastutā dīnatāyāḥ saṃdhiṃ kārayituṃ karma na sukaram iti ||
Arjuna sprach: „Janārdana, alles, was zu sagen war, hat König Yudhiṣṭhira bereits gesagt. Doch nachdem ich deine Worte gehört habe, o Bezwinger der Feinde, scheint es mir, dass du die Aufgabe, eine Einigung herbeizuführen, nicht für leicht hältst — wegen Dhṛtarāṣṭras Gier und wegen unserer gegenwärtigen erniedrigten Lage.“
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arjuna highlights an ethical obstacle to peace: negotiations fail not merely from lack of arguments but from entrenched greed (lobha) and power imbalance. The verse frames diplomacy as a dharmic effort that can be thwarted by moral vice and political reality.
After Yudhiṣṭhira has already stated the Pandavas’ position, Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana). Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s assessment, Arjuna concludes that securing a treaty with Dhṛtarāṣṭra will be difficult because Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s greed and the Pandavas’ current weakened/humbled situation make conciliation unlikely.