Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्‌ करिष्यन्ति कौन्तेया वासुदेवस्य सम्मतम्‌ | नहि ते जातु शाम्येरन्रृते राज्येन कौरव,“कुरुनन्दन! कुन्तीके पुत्र श्रीकृष्णकी सम्मतिके अनुसार वह सब कार्य करेंगे। अब राज्य लिये बिना वे कदापि शान्त नहीं रह सकते

Transliteration

tat kariṣyanti kaunteyā vāsudevasya sammatam | nahi te jātu śāmyeran ṛte rājyena kaurava ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “The sons of Kuntī will act in accordance with Vāsudeva’s counsel. For those Kaurava princes will never truly be appeased unless the matter is settled with the granting of the kingdom.”

Word by Word

तत्that (act/thing)

करिष्यन्तिthey will do

कौन्तेयाःthe sons of Kuntī (Pāṇḍavas)

वासुदेवस्यof Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

सम्मतम्approved/desired (by him)

नnot

हिindeed/for

तेthey

जातुever/at any time

शाम्येरन्would become calm/appeased

ऋतेwithout/except

राज्येनwith/through a kingdom; (i.e.,) by obtaining sovereignty

कौरवO Kaurava (descendant of Kuru)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kaunteyāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)

Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Kaurava (descendants of Kuru)

Rājya (kingdom)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate sovereignty and justice cannot be replaced by mere appeasement: when rightful claims are denied, peace is unstable. The verse also highlights the ethical weight of wise counsel—here, the Pāṇḍavas align their action with Kṛṣṇa’s considered guidance rather than impulsive retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that the Pāṇḍavas will proceed according to Kṛṣṇa’s decision. He emphasizes that the Kaurava side will not truly settle down unless the issue of the kingdom is resolved—signaling that the political dispute over rājya is the central, unresolved cause driving events toward war.