Shloka 6
उद्योगपर्व — विदुरोक्तिः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra Addressed on Sincerity, Hospitality, and Settlement
एकवर्ण: सुक्लूृप्ताड्रैर्बाद्विजातैर्हयोत्तमै: । चतुर्युक्तान् रथांस्तस्मै रौक्मान् दास्यामि षघोडश
ekavarṇāḥ suklṛptāṅgair bāhlīkadeśasambhavaiḥ | dvijātair hayottamaiś caturyuktān rathāṁs tasmai raukmān dāsyāmi ṣoḍaśa ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Ihm (Kṛṣṇa) werde ich sechzehn goldene Wagen schenken, jeden mit vier vortrefflichen Pferden bespannt—von gleicher Farbe, kraftvoll gebaut, von bester Zucht und im Lande Bāhlīka geboren.“
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a common ethical tension in statecraft: attempting to resolve a looming conflict through honor, hospitality, and material gifts. It implicitly raises the question of whether external offerings can substitute for a just settlement grounded in dharma.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks about presenting Kṛṣṇa with an impressive diplomatic gift—sixteen golden chariots with elite four-horse teams from Bāhlīka—within the broader context of negotiations before the Kurukṣetra war.