Shloka 20
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 92: Kṛṣṇasya sabhāpraveśaḥ
Krishna’s Entry into the Royal Assembly
अपि वाचं भाषमाणस्य काव्यां धर्मासमामर्थवतीमहिंस्राम् । अवेक्षेरन् धार्तराष्ट्रा: शमार्थ मां च प्राप्त कुरव: पूजयेयु:,मैं शान्तिके लिये दविद्वानोंद्वारा अनुमोदित धर्म और अर्थके अनुकूल हिंसारहित बात कहूँगा। यदि धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र मेरी बातपर ध्यान देंगे तो उसे अवश्य मानेंगे तथा कौरव भी मुझे वास्तवमें शान्तिस्थापनके लिये ही आया हुआ जान मेरा आदर करेंगे
api vācaṃ bhāṣamāṇasya kāvyāṃ dharmasamām arthavatīm ahiṃsrām | avekṣeran dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ śamārthaṃ māṃ ca prāptaṃ kuravaḥ pūjayeyuḥ ||
“If, as I speak, I utter a well-shaped and fitting speech—one that accords with dharma, is purposeful, and free from violence—may the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra pay heed to it. And may the Kurus honor me, recognizing that I have come for the sake of peace.”
(वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Speech should be ethically grounded: aligned with dharma, purposeful (artha-vat), and non-violent (ahiṃsā). Such speech is presented as the proper instrument for restoring peace and winning legitimate respect.
The speaker frames a peace-oriented intervention: he intends to deliver a carefully composed, dharma-consistent, non-harmful message and hopes the Dhṛtarāṣṭras will heed it, while the Kurus recognize his arrival as a genuine mission of reconciliation and honor him accordingly.