Shloka 116
न व्यवस्यन्ति पाण्डूनां प्रदातुं पैतृक वसु । वे भीष्म, द्रोण और विदुरके बहुत अनुनय-विनय करनेपर भी पाण्डवोंको उनका पैतृक धन वापस देनेका निश्चय अथवा प्रयास नहीं कर रहे हैं
na vyavasyanti pāṇḍūnāṃ pradātuṃ paitṛkaṃ vasu |
Vaiśampāyana said: They do not resolve to return the Pāṇḍavas’ ancestral wealth. Even after much earnest entreaty and conciliatory counsel—by Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Vidura—they neither form the decision nor make the effort to restore to the Pāṇḍavas what is rightfully theirs, revealing a willful refusal of justice that pushes the realm toward conflict.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Refusing to restore another’s rightful inheritance—despite wise elders urging reconciliation—signals adharma: it violates justice, undermines legitimate order, and makes violence more likely. Ethical governance requires honoring rightful claims and heeding principled counsel.
In the lead-up to war, the Kaurava side remains unwilling to return the Pāṇḍavas’ ancestral share. Even the persuasive efforts of respected elders—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Vidura—fail to move them toward a decision or concrete action of restitution.