Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 126 — Kṛṣṇa’s Indictment of Misrule and the Varuṇa Analogy (कृष्णवाक्यं–धर्मपाशदृष्टान्तः)
राज्यांशश्वाभ्यनुज्ञातो यो मे पित्रा पुराभवत् | न स लभ्य: पुनर्जातु मयि जीवति केशव,“केशव! मेरे पिताजीने पूर्वकालमें जो राज्यभाग मेरे अधीन कर दिया है, उसे कोई मेरे जीते-जी फिर कदापि नहीं पा सकता
rājyāṁśaś cābhyanujñāto yo me pitrā purābhavat | na sa labhyaḥ punar jātu mayi jīvati keśava |
વૈશંપાયન બોલ્યા—હે કેશવ! મારા પિતાએ પૂર્વકાળે જે રાજ્યનો અંશ મને મંજૂર કરીને આપ્યો હતો, તે હું જીવતો હોઉં ત્યાં સુધી ફરી કદી કોઈને પ્રાપ્ત થઈ શકતો નથી.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse asserts the binding force of a rightful, previously sanctioned grant: a legitimate share of sovereignty, once confirmed by the father/elder authority, is treated as non-negotiable. Ethically, it frames the dispute as one of justice and entitlement rather than mere power.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and arguments over rightful rule, a speaker addresses Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) and declares that the portion of the kingdom earlier granted by his father will not be surrendered or re-allocated to others as long as he lives—signaling an uncompromising stance in the political conflict.