Shloka 21
Virāṭa-sabhāyāṃ Saṃniveśaḥ — Assembly at Virāṭa’s Hall and Kṛṣṇa’s Diplomatic Counsel
अतोडन्यथा तैरुपचर्यमाणा हन्यु: समेतान् धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रान् | तैर्विप्रकारं च निशम्य कार्य सुहृज्जनास्तान् परिवारयेयु:
atoḍa-nyathā tair upacaryamāṇā hanyuḥ sametān dhṛtarāṣṭra-putrān | tair viprakāraṃ ca niśamya kāryaṃ suhṛj-janās tān parivārayeyuḥ ||
Si, même à présent, les fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra s’obstinent à les traiter en ennemis et refusent de rendre le royaume qui leur revient de droit, alors les Pāṇḍava—poussés au dernier recours—mettront à mort les Kaurava rassemblés. Sachant avec certitude que les Kaurava sont résolus à entraver la voie légitime des Pāṇḍava et à leur nuire, il appartient aux amis fidèles et aux parents de retenir ces fauteurs d’injustice et d’arrêter leur oppression, afin d’écarter la ruine et de protéger le dharma.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
When injustice and deliberate obstruction persist, the responsibility for preventing catastrophe falls on well-wishers and elders: they should restrain wrongdoers early. The verse frames war as a foreseeable consequence of unchecked adharma, urging timely intervention to protect dharma and avert mass destruction.
In the opening of Udyoga Parva, Kṛṣṇa articulates the danger of the Kauravas’ continued hostile stance—refusing to return the Pāṇḍavas’ kingdom and actively undermining them. He warns that this will drive the Pāṇḍavas to kill Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons, and therefore calls upon friends and relatives to restrain the Kauravas from oppressive conduct.