Shloka 20
Virāṭa-sabhāyāṃ Saṃniveśaḥ — Assembly at Virāṭa’s Hall and Kṛṣṇa’s Diplomatic Counsel
सम्बन्धितां चापि समीक्ष्य तेषां मतिं कुरुध्वं सहिता: पृथक् च | इमे च सत्येडभिरता: सदैव त॑ पालयित्वा समयं यथावत्
sambandhitāṃ cāpi samīkṣya teṣāṃ matiṃ kurudhvam sahitāḥ pṛthak ca | ime ca satyeḍabhiratāḥ sadaiva taṃ pālayitvā samayaṃ yathāvat ||
Et, considérant aussi le lien qui les unit, délibérez sur leur intention, ensemble et chacun pour soi. Ces Pāṇḍava, toujours voués à la vérité, ont fidèlement observé l’accord conclu et se tiennent maintenant devant nous conformément à celui-ci. Ainsi, ô membres de la cour des Kaurava, pesez d’un côté l’avidité qui enfle, et de l’autre l’intégrité de Yudhiṣṭhira guidée par le dharma, puis décidez ce qui est juste.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public decisions, especially in matters of conflict, must be grounded in dharma: examine relationships and intentions, deliberate both collectively and individually, and honor established agreements. Truthfulness and fidelity to a covenant are presented as ethical benchmarks against which greed-driven policy should be judged.
Kṛṣṇa addresses the Kaurava court/assembly, urging the members to assess the stance of the two sides. He emphasizes that the Pāṇḍavas have faithfully kept the prior compact and have come accordingly, and he calls on the assembly to decide responsibly rather than be led by escalating greed.