Shloka 39
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana
Keśava-vākya aftermath
स त्वं तातानुपायेन लिप्ससे भरतर्षभ । आधिराज्यं महद् दीप्तं प्रथितं सर्वराजसु,“तात भरतश्रेष्ठ) तुम समस्त राजाओंमें विख्यात इस विशाल एवं उज्ज्वल साम्राज्यको अनुचित उपायसे पाना चाहते हो
sa tvaṁ tātānupāyena lipsase bharatarṣabha | ādhirājyaṁ mahad dīptaṁ prathitaṁ sarvarājṣu ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “But you, dear child—O bull among the Bharatas—seek to obtain, by improper means, that great and radiant imperial sovereignty, renowned among all kings.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and sovereignty, even if glorious and widely recognized, should not be pursued through illegitimate or unethical means; rightful ends must be sought through rightful methods in accordance with dharma.
The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a rebuke addressed to a Bharata prince/king: he is being criticized for trying to secure celebrated imperial rule through ‘anupāya’—improper, unjust, or unworthy strategies—highlighting the moral tension preceding the great conflict.