Shloka 3
यत् तु मर्षितमस्माभिभर्भवत: प्रियकाम्यया । त एते परिविश्रान्ता: पाण्डवा बलवत्तरा:,इस समय जो हमने क्षमा की है--सोते समय शत्रुओंपर प्रहार नहीं किया है, वह केवल आपका प्रिय करनेकी इच्छासे ही हुआ है। इसका फल यह हुआ कि ये पाण्डव-सैनिक पूर्णतः विश्राम करके पुन: अत्यन्त प्रबल हो गये हैं
yat tu marṣitam asmābhir bhavataḥ priyakāmyayā | ta ete pariviśrāntāḥ pāṇḍavā balavattarāḥ ||
The forbearance we showed—out of a desire to please you—by not striking the enemy while they slept, has had this consequence: those Pāṇḍavas have now fully recovered their strength and, having rested, have become all the more formidable. In war, misplaced restraint, when driven by personal appeasement rather than sound judgment, can turn into a strategic and moral liability.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how restraint in warfare, when motivated by mere appeasement (priyakāmyā) rather than principled dharma or prudent strategy, can backfire—granting the opponent time to recover and return stronger. It implicitly contrasts thoughtful ethical restraint with indecisive or politically motivated hesitation.
Duryodhana addresses a respected superior (bhavataḥ), complaining that the Kauravas refrained from attacking the enemy while they slept in order to please him. As a result, the Pāṇḍavas have rested and regained strength, becoming more formidable on the battlefield.