Shloka 17
विदुरस्य कृष्णं प्रति शमोपदेशः
Vidura’s Counsel to Krishna on the Limits of Peace
अलघूकृतमग्रस्तमनिरस्तमसंकुलम् । राजीवनेत्रो राजानं हेतुमद् वाक्यमुत्तमम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! इस प्रकार पूछे जानेपर उस समय महामनस्वी कमलनयन श्रीकृष्णने अपनी विशाल भुजा ऊपर उठाकर राजा दुर्योधनको सजल जलधरके समान गम्भीर वाणीमें उत्तर देना आरम्भ किया। उनका वह वचन परम उत्तम, युक्तिसंगत, दैन्य-रहित प्रत्येक अक्षरकी स्पष्टतासे सुशोभित तथा स्थान-श्रष्टता एवं संकीर्णता आदि दोषोंसे रहित था
vaiśampāyana uvāca | alaghūkṛtam agrastam anirastam asaṅkulam | rājīvanetro rājānaṃ hetumad vākyam uttamam |
Vaiśampāyana said: Then lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa began to address the king (Duryodhana), raising his mighty arm and speaking in a voice deep as a rain-laden cloud. His reply was supremely excellent—reasoned and purposeful, free from self-abasement, clear in every syllable, and untouched by faults such as impropriety, confusion, or needless entanglement.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical persuasion should be reasoned (hetumat), clear, and free from both contempt and self-abasement. The verse praises speech that is purposeful, lucid, and disciplined—qualities essential for dharmic counsel in political crisis.
After being questioned, Kṛṣṇa begins his reply to King Duryodhana. The narrator highlights the gravity and excellence of Kṛṣṇa’s forthcoming counsel by describing the tone (deep like a rain-cloud) and the virtues of his speech (clear, coherent, and well-reasoned).