Shloka 15
Daitya-āśvāsana of Duryodhana; Karṇa’s assurance and the mobilization of the Kaurava host
अथवा मद्वच: श्रुत्वा तत्र यत्ता भविष्यथ | उद्विग्नवासो विश्रम्भाद् दुःखं तत्र भविष्यति,अथवा मेरी बात सुनकर तुमलोग वहाँ यदि अपनेको काबूमें रखते हुए सावधानीके साथ रह सको, तो भी यह विश्वास करके कि ये लोग सत्यवादी होनेके कारण हमें कष्ट नहीं देंगे, वनवाससे उद्विग्न हुए पाण्डवोंके बीचमें निवास करना तुम्हारे लिये दुःखदायी ही होगा
athavā madvacaḥ śrutvā tatra yattā bhaviṣyatha | udvignavāso viśrambhād duḥkhaṃ tatra bhaviṣyati ||
Or else, even if—after hearing my words—you restrain yourselves and live there with caution, still, trusting that “these men are truthful and therefore will not harm us,” dwelling among the Pāṇḍavas already distressed by their forest exile will inevitably become a source of suffering for you.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dhṛtarāṣṭra warns that practical suffering can arise even without overt hostility: trusting in others’ truthfulness is not enough when circumstances are tense. Ethical character (satya) does not automatically neutralize the risks created by fear, resentment, and the hardships of exile; prudence and awareness of context are necessary.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks as a cautious adviser, suggesting that even if the addressed party behaves with restraint and care, living among the Pāṇḍavas—already agitated by their forest life—will still be painful. The statement frames the situation as politically and emotionally unsafe, regardless of the Pāṇḍavas’ reputation for truthfulness.