Shloka 9
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
महातेजस्वी केशव! (इन्होंने संजयसे इस प्रकार कहा था--) संजय! तुम दुर्योधन और उसके सुहृदोंके सामने मेरी यह माँग रख देना--'तात! तुम हमें अविस्थल, वृकस्थल, माकन्दी, वारणावत तथा अन्तिम पाँचवाँ कोई एक गाँव--इन पाँच गाँवोंको ही दे दो” ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahātejasvin keśava! (anena sañjayāyaivaṃ proktam) — sañjaya! tvaṃ duryodhana-suhṛdāṃ samakṣaṃ mama etāṃ yācanāṃ nivedaya — “tāta! avasthalaṃ vṛkasthalaṃ mākandīṃ vāraṇāvataṃ ca, pañcamaṃ cāntimaṃ kiṃcid ekaṃ grāmaṃ — etān eva pañca grāmān asmabhyaṃ dehi” iti || na cāpi hākaro dū vākyaṃ śrutvā kṛṣṇa suyodhanaḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasya dāśārha śrīmataḥ sandhim icchataḥ || daśārha-kula-bhūṣaṇa śrīkṛṣṇa! sandhiṃ icchataḥ śrīmataḥ yudhiṣṭhirasya idaṃ (namratā-pūrṇaṃ) vacanaṃ śrutvāpi duryodhanena na pratijagṛhe ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O mighty Keśava! (This is what he had said to Sañjaya:) ‘Sañjaya, in the presence of Duryodhana and his friends, present this request of mine: “Dear one, give us only these five villages—Avasthala, Vṛkasthala, Mākandī, Vāraṇāvata, and as the fifth and last, any one other village.”’ Yet, O Kṛṣṇa—ornament of the Dāśārha line—even after hearing this humble proposal from the illustrious Yudhiṣṭhira, who sought reconciliation, Suyodhana (Duryodhana) did not accept it.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a minimal, reasonable claim offered in a spirit of reconciliation can be rejected when driven by pride and greed; the verse highlights how refusal of fair compromise becomes an ethical failure that propels society toward war.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking peace, asks through Sañjaya for only five villages (named explicitly). Duryodhana, despite hearing this humble proposal, refuses to accept it, signaling the breakdown of negotiations.