Shloka 7
कृप-अर्जुन रथयुद्धम्
Kṛpa–Arjuna Chariot Engagement
अलुब्धाश्चैव कौन्तेया: कृतवन्तश्न दुष्करम् | न चापि केवल राज्यमिच्छेयुस्तेडनुपायत:
alubdhāś caiva kaunteyāḥ kṛtavantaś ca duṣkaram | na cāpi kevala-rājyam iccheyus te 'nupāyataḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Les fils de Kuntī étaient exempts d’avidité, et ils ont accompli ce qu’il est difficile d’accomplir. Ils ne rechercheraient pas non plus un royaume pour le royaume lui-même — certainement pas par des moyens indignes.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that true righteousness is not only about achieving power but about the motive and the method: the Pāṇḍavas are portrayed as non-greedy, capable of hard deeds, and unwilling to pursue kingship through improper means.
Bhīṣma is speaking in praise of the Pāṇḍavas’ character, emphasizing their restraint and principled conduct—especially that they do not treat sovereignty as a mere prize to be seized by any expedient.