Shloka 1
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 148: Vāsudeva’s Report—Mobilization and the Nīti Sequence
Sāma–Bheda–Daṇḍa
अत-#-#कात एकोनपज्चाशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: दुर्योधनके प्रति धृतराष्ट्रके युक्तिसंगत वचन--पाण्डवोंको आधा राज्य देनेके लिये आदेश वायुदेव उवाच एवमुक्ते तु गान्धार्या धृतराष्ट्रो जनेश्वर: । दुर्योधनमुवाचेदं राजमध्ये जनाधिप,भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण कहते हैं--राजन! गान्धारीके ऐसा कहनेपर राजा धृतराष्ट्रने समस्त राजाओंके बीच दुर्योधनसे इस प्रकार कहा--
vāyudeva uvāca | evam ukte tu gāndhāryā dhṛtarāṣṭro janeśvaraḥ | duryodhanam uvācedaṃ rājamadhye janādhipa ||
Vāyudeva dit : Lorsque Gāndhārī eut parlé ainsi, le roi Dhṛtarāṣṭra, seigneur des hommes, s’adressa à Duryodhana au milieu des rois assemblés : «Ô souverain des hommes…». Il introduisait ainsi l’avis, raisonnable et conciliant, de Dhṛtarāṣṭra : appeler à un règlement juste, en accordant aux Pāṇḍava la part du royaume qui leur revenait, afin d’éviter une guerre de sang entre parents.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical moment of statecraft: after a moral admonition (from Gāndhārī), the king is prompted to speak publicly and reasonably, implying that a ruler should prefer just compromise and the prevention of fratricidal war over pride and obstinacy.
Following Gāndhārī’s words, Dhṛtarāṣṭra turns to Duryodhana in the royal assembly and begins a formal address. The surrounding context (as indicated in the edition’s heading) is Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attempt to persuade Duryodhana toward a settlement—granting the Pāṇḍavas their rightful share—to avert war.