Shloka 23

धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama

Devanagari script

शमो मे रोचते नित्य॑ पार्थैसतात न विग्रह: । कुरुभ्यो हि सदा मन्ये पाण्डवान्‌ शक्तिमत्तरान्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

śamo me rocate nityaṃ pārthaiḥ sātatā na vigrahaḥ |

kurubhyo hi sadā manye pāṇḍavān śaktimattarān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «La paz me complace siempre; con los hijos de Pṛthā no apruebo el conflicto. Pues desde hace mucho sostengo que los Pāṇḍavas son más fuertes que los Kurus. Por ello, para los Kauravas este momento se ha vuelto una puerta hacia una gran ruina; si poner fin a esta contienda no admite remedio sino un acuerdo, entonces el acuerdo es lo que sin cesar recomiendo».

Word by Word

• शमः: peace, pacification
• शमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me / to me (my)
• मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• रोचते: is pleasing / appeals
• रोचते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• पार्थैः: with the sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पार्थैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तात: dear one / son (vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विग्रहः: conflict, war
• विग्रहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुरुभ्यः: for the Kurus
• कुरुभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• मन्ये: I think / I consider
• मन्ये: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Atmanepada

• पाण्डवान्: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शक्तिमत्तरान्: more powerful
• शक्तिमत्तरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्तिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, Comparative

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārthas (sons of Pṛthā/Kuntī)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kurus/Kauravas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds śama (peace) over vigraha (conflict), arguing that when a just and practical resolution is possible, conciliation is ethically preferable—especially when war would be self-destructive and strategically unwise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker (Vaiśampāyana narrating) voices a pro-settlement stance: he discourages initiating war with the Pāṇḍavas, judging them stronger and warning that the Kauravas face the prospect of great ruin if they persist in hostility.