Shloka 43
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
हीयमानेन वै सन्धि: पर्येष्टव्य:ः समेन वा । विग्रहो वर्धमानेन मतिरेषा बृहस्पते:
sañjaya uvāca |
hīyamānena vai sandhiḥ paryeṣṭavyaḥ samena vā |
vigraho vardhamānena matireṣā bṛhaspateḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Telle est, dit-on, la maxime de Bṛhaspati : lorsque la force décline — ou même lorsqu’elle n’est qu’égale — il faut rechercher un traité. Mais lorsque la puissance croît, alors il convient de choisir l’affrontement au grand jour.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a principle of statecraft: seek peace or alliance when your power is weakening or only equal to the opponent’s, but undertake war when your strength is increasing—attributing this pragmatic counsel to Bṛhaspati.
Sañjaya reports a maxim of political wisdom within the war narrative, framing decisions about treaty (sandhi) versus conflict (vigraha) as contingent on relative strength, and citing Bṛhaspati as the authoritative source.