Shloka 13
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
मधुसूदन! कौरवोंके प्रति साम और दाननीतिका प्रयोग करनेसे कोई प्रयोजन सिद्ध नहीं हो सकता। अत: उनपर आपको कभी कृपा नहीं करनी चाहिये ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sāmnā dānena vā kṛṣṇa ye na śāmyanti śatravaḥ | yoktavyas teṣu daṇḍaḥ svāj jīvitaṃ parirakṣatā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Kṛṣṇa, against those enemies who are not pacified by conciliation or by gifts, punishment must be applied. A man who seeks to safeguard his own life should employ force against such foes.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When conciliation (sāma) and gifts (dāna) fail to restrain an aggressor, dharma permits the use of daṇḍa—coercive punishment/force—especially to protect life and prevent further harm.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker frames a pragmatic ethical counsel to Kṛṣṇa: diplomacy has limits, and with implacable enemies one must be prepared to enforce order through punishment.