Shloka 14
Adhyāya 20 — Rājadharma Argument for Paternal Inheritance and Timely Conciliation
नहिते विग्रहं वीरा: कुर्वन्ति कुरुभि: सह । अविनाशेन लोकस्य काड्क्षन्ते पाण्डवा: स्वकम्,“वीर पाण्डव कौरवोंके साथ युद्ध नहीं कर रहे हैं, वे जनसंहार किये बिना ही अपना राज्य पाना चाहते हैं
na hi te vigrahaṃ vīrāḥ kurvanti kurubhiḥ saha | avināśena lokasya kāṅkṣante pāṇḍavāḥ svakam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Those heroes do not seek conflict with the Kurus. The Pāṇḍavas desire what is rightfully theirs, yet they wish to obtain it without bringing destruction upon the people.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one has a rightful claim, dharma favors restraint: the Pāṇḍavas seek their due without desiring the ruin of the people, presenting war as a last resort rather than a goal.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vaiśampāyana characterizes the Pāṇḍavas as unwilling to initiate hostilities with the Kurus and as aiming to recover their own kingdom through a settlement that avoids mass destruction.