Shloka 96
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration
Sañjaya’s Report
प्रत्यक्ष व: कुरवो यद् ब्रवीमि युध्यमाना धार्तराष्ट्रा न सन्ति । अन्यत्र युद्धात् कुरवो यदि स्यु- न युद्धे वै शेष इहास्ति कश्चित्,“कौरवो! मैं तुमलोगोंके समक्ष यह स्पष्टरूपसे बता देना चाहता हूँ कि धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र यदि युद्धभूमिमें उतरे तो जीवित नहीं बचेंगे। कौरवोंके जीवनकी रक्षा तभी हो सकती है, जब वे युद्धसे दूर रहें। युद्ध छिड़ जानेपर तो उनमेंसे कोई भी यहाँ शेष नहीं रहेगा
pratyakṣaṃ vaḥ kuravo yad bravīmi yudhyamānā dhārtarāṣṭrā na santi | anyatra yuddhāt kuravo yadi syur na yuddhe vai śeṣa ihāsti kaścit ||
Sanjaya said: “Kurus, I tell you this plainly to your face: if Dhritarashtra’s sons enter the battlefield and engage in combat, they will not survive. Only by staying away from war can the Kurus preserve their lives; once war truly begins, not a single one will remain here.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical and practical warning that choosing war—especially when driven by obstinacy and unrighteous policy—brings total ruin. It frames avoidance of unjust conflict as the only path to preservation, implying that adharma-led aggression culminates in self-destruction.
Sañjaya delivers a blunt forecast to the Kuru/Kaurava side: if Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons fight, they will be annihilated; only by refraining from battle can any of them survive. The statement functions as a final, urgent admonition in the tense lead-up to the Kurukṣetra war.