Shloka 3
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
संजय उवाच न तत्र पाण्डवा गृद्धा: शूणु राजन् वचो मम । गृद्धो दुर्योधनस्तत्र शकुनिश्चापि सौबल:,संजयने कहा--राजन्! आप मेरी बात सुनिये। पाण्डवोंको इस भारतवर्षके साम्राज्यका लोभ नहीं है। दुर्योधन तथा सुबलपुत्र शकुनि ही उसके लिये बहुत लुभाये हुए हैं
sañjaya uvāca | na tatra pāṇḍavā gṛddhāḥ śṛṇu rājan vaco mama | gṛddho duryodhanas tatra śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, listen to my words. In this matter the Pāṇḍavas are not driven by greed. It is Duryodhana—and Śakuni, the son of Subala—who are consumed by craving for it.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts motives: rightful action and restraint versus grasping greed. Sañjaya frames the moral causality of the war as rooted in Duryodhana and Śakuni’s covetousness rather than in the Pāṇḍavas’ ambition, highlighting how adharma begins with unchecked desire for power.
Sañjaya addresses King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and reports his assessment of the parties’ intentions. He asserts that the Pāṇḍavas are not seeking the kingdom out of greed, while Duryodhana and Śakuni are the ones intensely desirous of sovereignty, thereby shaping Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s understanding of blame and responsibility.