Shloka 126
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ७७: पुरुषकार–दैवसंयोगः तथा दुष्टमन्त्रपरामर्शस्य राजनैतिक-परिणामः
Human Effort, Contingency, and the Political Effects of Corrupt Counsel
उपायेन नृशंसेन हता दुर्द्यूतदेविना । श्रीकृष्ण! कौरवोंके साथ हमारी संधि हो अथवा आप जो कुछ करना चाहते हों
arjuna uvāca | upāyena nṛśaṃsena hatā durdyūtadevinā | śrīkṛṣṇa! kauravaiḥ saha asmākaṃ sandhir bhavatu athavā bhavān yat kartum icchati tad eva bhavatu | vicārayataḥ vayam asmin niṣkarṣe prāptāḥ—yā bhavata icchā sā eva asmākaṃ gaurava-samādara-viṣayaḥ | sa duṣṭātmā duryodhanaḥ putraiḥ bandhu-bāndhavaiś ca saha vadhasyaiva yogyaḥ, yaḥ dharmaputra-yudhiṣṭhirasya samīpam āgatāṃ sampattiṃ dṛṣṭvā tāṃ soḍhuṃ na śaśāka | api ca, kapata-dyūta-āśrayaṃ kṛtvā tena krūrātmanā yadā dharmasaṃmata-upāyena yuddhādibhiḥ svārtha-siddhiṃ na dṛṣṭā, tadā kapatopāyenaiva tasyāḥ sampatteḥ apaharaṇaṃ kṛtam |
Arjuna sprach: „Durch eine grausame List wurden wir von jenem Spieler Duryodhana zu Fall gebracht. O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, es sei Frieden mit den Kauravas—oder andernfalls geschehe, was immer du zu tun wünschst. Nach reiflicher Überlegung gelangen wir zu diesem Schluss: Was immer dein Wille ist, das ist für uns selbst Gegenstand der Ehre und des gebührenden Respekts. Jener bösherzige Duryodhana verdient, samt seinen Söhnen und Verwandten, nur den Tod—er, der den Anblick des Reichtums, der Dharmaputra Yudhiṣṭhira zugefallen war, nicht ertragen konnte. Und mehr noch: Als jener grausame Mann, der sich auf trügerische Würfel stützte, sah, dass kein rechtschaffener Weg—Krieg und dergleichen—ihm Erfolg bringen würde, raubte er jenen Besitz durch Betrug.“
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts dharma-approved conduct with fraudulent strategy: Arjuna condemns wealth seized through deceit (kapata-dyūta) and affirms that ethical legitimacy matters. At the same time, he places trust in Kṛṣṇa’s judgment—accepting peace if possible, but recognizing that persistent adharma may warrant decisive punishment.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa about the Pandavas’ course of action. He recalls how Duryodhana used the rigged dice game to dispossess them, argues that Duryodhana cannot tolerate Yudhiṣṭhira’s prosperity, and concludes that Kṛṣṇa should decide whether to pursue treaty (sandhi) or the path leading to war.