Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 31
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti
इसी प्रकार वृष्णिवंशके सम्मानित वीर हृदिकपुत्र महारथी कृतवर्मा भी एक-दूसरे रथपर बैठे दिखायी दिये ।।
upasthitarathaṁ śauriṁ prayāsyantam ariṁdamam | dhṛtarāṣṭro mahārājaḥ punar evābhyabhāṣata ||
Seeing Śauri (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)—the subduer of foes—standing ready with his chariot and about to depart, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra addressed him once again. The moment underscores the king’s anxious dependence on Kṛṣṇa’s counsel at a decisive turning point, when words and choices may still restrain the slide toward war.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even at the brink of conflict, a ruler must seek and heed righteous counsel; repeated appeals reveal both the urgency of dharma and the moral accountability of leadership when decisions can avert or unleash war.
Kṛṣṇa is seen with his chariot ready and is about to leave; recognizing this, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks to him again, attempting to continue the conversation at a critical moment in the negotiations.