Shloka 7
अध्याय 24 — संजयस्य शमोपदेशः
Sanjaya’s Counsel Toward Conciliation
सर्वक्षयो दृश्यते यत्र कृत्स्न: पापोदयो निरयो5भावसंस्थ: । कस्तत् कुर्याज्जातु कर्म प्रजानन् पराजयो यत्र समो जयश्नल
sarvakṣayo dṛśyate yatra kṛtsnaḥ pāpodayo nirayo ’bhāvasaṃsthaḥ | kas tat kuryāj jātu karma prajānann parājayo yatra samo jayaś ca ||
Where one foresees total destruction, where sin fully rises up, where the outcome is hell, where the end is only emptiness and loss—and where victory and defeat are alike—what wise person, knowing this, would ever undertake such a harsh deed as war?
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues from consequences: war brings universal destruction and the rise of sin, leads toward hellish results, and ends in emptiness; therefore a discerning person should not initiate such an action, especially when even victory is morally and existentially no better than defeat.
Sañjaya, speaking within the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, articulates a warning against undertaking war by emphasizing its inevitable devastation and ethical cost, framing it as an enterprise unworthy of a wise, informed agent.