Shloka 2
नैव प्रशममत्र त्वं मन्यसे सुकरं प्रभो । लोभाद् वा धृतराष्ट्रस्य दैन्याद् वा समुपस्थितात्,तदनन्तर अर्जुनने कहा--जनार्दन! मुझे जो कुछ कहना था, वह सब तो महाराज युधिष्ठिरने ही कह दिया। शत्रुओंको संतप्त करनेवाले प्रभो! आपकी बात सुनकर मुझे ऐसा जान पड़ता है कि आप धृतराष्ट्रके लोभ तथा हमारी प्रस्तुत दीनताके कारण संधि करानेका कार्य सरल नहीं समझ रहे हैं
naiva praśamam atra tvaṃ manyase sukaraṃ prabho | lobhād vā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dainyād vā samupasthitāt ||
Arjuna said: “O Lord, it seems you do not consider reconciliation here to be easy—either because of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s greed, or because of the pitiable helplessness in which we now stand.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arjuna highlights two ethical obstacles to peace: the opponent’s moral failing (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s greed) and one’s own weakened position (present helplessness). The verse frames reconciliation as not merely a diplomatic act but a dharmic challenge shaped by inner vices and power realities.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Arjuna responds to Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana). He infers from Kṛṣṇa’s words that achieving a settlement is difficult because Dhṛtarāṣṭra is driven by greed and because the Pāṇḍavas’ current condition appears vulnerable, making fair compromise unlikely.