Shloka 4
भीष्मद्रोणयोर्दुर्योधनं प्रति शान्त्युपदेशः | Bhīṣma and Droṇa’s Counsel to Duryodhana for Pacification
धर्म्यमर्थ्य महाबाहुराह त्वां तात केशव: । तदर्थमभिपद्यस्व मा राजन् नीनश: प्रजा:,“वत्स! महाबाहु केशवने तुमसे धर्म और अर्थके अनुकूल ही बात कही है। राजन! तुम उसे स्वीकार कर लो; प्रजाका विनाश न करो
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: dharmyām arthyaṁ mahābāhur āha tvāṁ tāta Keśavaḥ | tad-artham abhipadyasva mā rājan nīnaśaḥ prajāḥ ||
“Dear one, mighty-armed Keśava has spoken to you words that accord with both dharma and sound policy. O king, accept that counsel; do not bring ruin upon the people.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should heed counsel that aligns with both dharma (moral duty) and artha (prudent governance), prioritizing the welfare of subjects and avoiding actions that lead to public ruin.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) has given the king advice that is ethically right and politically sound, urging him to accept it and not cause the destruction of his people—framing the stakes of decision-making in the tense pre-war context.