Shloka 3
द्रुपदवाक्यं
Drupada’s Counsel on Conciliation and Alliance Mobilization
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत उद्योगपर्वके अन्तर्गत येनोट्योगपर्वनें सात्यकिका क्रोधपूर्ण वचनसम्बन्धी तीसरा अध्याय पूरा हुआ
baladevasya vākyaṃ tu mama jñāne na yujyate | etaddhi puruṣeṇāgre kāryaṃ sunayam icchatā | dhṛtarāṣṭraputra duryodhanase madhuraṃ vā nṛtāpūrṇaṃ vacanaṃ kena cid api prakāreṇa na yuktam | mamaiva matam—sa pāpapūrṇavicāraḥ, ataḥ mṛduvyavahāreṇa vaśam ānetuṃ na śakyaḥ |
«Mais le conseil de Baladeva, à mon sens, ne convient pas. Celui qui recherche une conduite politique juste doit d’abord faire ce que je vais dire. Parler à Duryodhana, fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, avec des paroles douces ou conciliantes n’est en aucune manière approprié. Voici mon avis : ses pensées sont entachées de faute, et c’est pourquoi on ne peut le ramener par la douceur.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage argues that ethical statecraft (su-naya) sometimes requires firm, unsparing speech: a person driven by sinful intent is not corrected by gentle persuasion, so one should not mistake sweetness of words for effective or righteous counsel.
The speaker rejects Baladeva’s proposed approach toward Duryodhana, asserting that conciliatory language is inappropriate because Duryodhana’s mindset is corrupt and he will not be restrained through mild treatment.