Shloka 12
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
न हि साम्ना न दानेन शक््योडर्थस्तेषु कश्नन | तस्मात् तेषु न कर्तव्या कृपा ते मधुसूदन
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
na hi sāmnā na dānena śakyo 'rthas teṣu kaścana |
tasmāt teṣu na kartavyā kṛpā te madhusūdana ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Con ellos no puede lograrse propósito alguno, ni por conciliación ni por dádivas. Por eso, oh Madhusūdana, no debe mostrárseles compasión.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When peaceful measures like conciliation (sāma) and gifts (dāna) cannot reform or restrain certain people, showing them pity becomes counterproductive; dharma may require firmness rather than indulgent mercy.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker frames the failure of diplomatic tools and advises Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana) that compassion toward such opponents is not appropriate, signaling a turn from negotiation toward decisive action.