Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अपि नो व्यसन घोर दुर्योधनकृतं महत्‌ । शमयेच्चिररात्राय योगक्षेमवदव्ययम्‌,“यदि ऐसा हुआ तो दुर्योधनके द्वारा उपस्थित किया हुआ हमारा महान्‌ एवं भयंकर संकट दीर्घकालके लिये शान्त हो जायगा और चिरस्थायी योगक्षेमकी प्राप्ति सुलभ होगी”

Transliteration

api no vyasanaṃ ghoraṃ duryodhana-kṛtaṃ mahat | śamayec cirarātrāya yogakṣemavad avyayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Si cela advient, notre grand et terrible malheur—suscité par Duryodhana—sera apaisé pour longtemps, et l’on atteindra aisément un état durable et inaltérable de sûreté et de prospérité (yoga-kṣema).»

Word by Word

अपिeven/also; perhaps

नःof us/our

व्यसनम्calamity, misfortune

घोरम्terrible

दुर्योधनकृतम्done/caused by Duryodhana

महत्great

शमयेत्would pacify/should subdue

चिररात्रायfor a long time

योगक्षेमवत्having welfare and security (yoga and kṣema)

अव्ययम्imperishable, lasting

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Duryodhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames peace as the ethical ideal: if a proposed course succeeds, it will quell a man-made calamity and restore lasting welfare (yoga-kṣema). It highlights responsibility for harm (attributed to Duryodhana) and the value of long-term stability over escalation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, the narrator Vaiśampāyana voices the hope that a certain development (a successful diplomatic or strategic step) will calm the severe crisis created by Duryodhana and secure enduring safety and prosperity for the Pāṇḍavas and their allies.