Mahabharata 7.187.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 187, Shloka 3
यत् तु मर्षितमस्माभिभर्भवत: प्रियकाम्यया । त एते परिविश्रान्ता: पाण्डवा बलवत्तरा:
yat tu marṣitam asmābhir bhavataḥ priyakāmyayā | ta ete pariviśrāntāḥ pāṇḍavā balavattarāḥ ||
તમને પ્રસન્ન કરવાની ઇચ્છાથી અમે જે ક્ષમા કરી—અર્થાત્ શત્રુઓ ઊંઘતા હતા ત્યારે તેમના પર પ્રહાર ન કર્યો—તેનું પરિણામ એ થયું કે તે પાંડવો સંપૂર્ણ વિશ્રાંતિ લઈને ફરી વધુ જ બળવાન બની ગયા છે.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how restraint in warfare, when motivated by mere appeasement (priyakāmyā) rather than principled dharma or prudent strategy, can backfire—granting the opponent time to recover and return stronger. It implicitly contrasts thoughtful ethical restraint with indecisive or politically motivated hesitation.
Duryodhana addresses a respected superior (bhavataḥ), complaining that the Kauravas refrained from attacking the enemy while they slept in order to please him. As a result, the Pāṇḍavas have rested and regained strength, becoming more formidable on the battlefield.
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