Shloka 14
अधर्मेण जयं लब्ध्वा को नु हृष्येत पण्डित:
adharmeṇa jayaṁ labdhvā ko nu hṛṣyet paṇḍitaḥ
Sañjaya said: Having gained victory through unrighteous means, what wise person would truly rejoice? Such a triumph, born of adharma, cannot be a cause for genuine satisfaction to one who understands right conduct and its consequences.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Victory is not ethically neutral: if it is achieved through adharma, it is spiritually and morally tainted. A truly wise person measures success by righteousness and long-term consequence, not by outward gain.
In the Shalya Parva’s war context, Sañjaya reflects on the moral quality of outcomes in battle, questioning the legitimacy of rejoicing over a win secured by improper means—an implicit critique of adharma-driven conduct amid the Kurukṣetra conflict.