Shloka 8
अध्याय 24 — संजयस्य शमोपदेशः
Sanjaya’s Counsel Toward Conciliation
ते वै धन्या यै: कृतं ज्ञातिकार्य ते वै पुत्रा: सुह्ददो बान्धवाश्व । उपक्रुष्टं जीवितं संत्यजेयु- रत: कुरूणां नियतो वैभव: स्यात्,जिन्होंने जाति और कुटुम्बके हितकर कार्योका साधन किया है, वे धन्य हैं। वे ही पुत्र, मित्र तथा बान्धव कहलानेयोग्य हैं। कौरवोंको चाहिये कि वे निन्दित जीवनका परित्याग कर दें, जिससे कौरवकुलका अभ्युदय अवश्यम्भावी हो
te vai dhanyā yaiḥ kṛtaṃ jñātikāryaṃ te vai putrāḥ suhṛdo bāndhavāś ca | upakruṣṭaṃ jīvitaṃ saṃtyajeyur ataḥ kurūṇāṃ niyato vaibhavaḥ syāt ||
Sañjaya said: Blessed indeed are those who have accomplished what must be done for their kinsmen. They alone deserve to be called sons, well-wishers, and relatives. Let the Kurus abandon a life that has become blameworthy; then the prosperity and uplift of the Kuru line will surely follow.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worth as a son, friend, or relative is measured by fulfilling one’s obligations to one’s kin and upholding family honor; abandoning a morally censured way of life is presented as the condition for the assured flourishing of the Kuru line.
Sañjaya delivers a moral-political reflection aimed at the Kurus: he praises those who act for the welfare of their relatives and urges the Kuru side to renounce a disgraceful course of living, implying that such ethical correction will secure the dynasty’s prosperity.