Mahabharata 9.59.8 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 59, Shloka 8
Chapter 59: Baladeva’s Censure, Keśava’s Restraint, and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Moral Accounting
नास्माकं निकृतिर्वल्विनक्षिद्यूतं न वज्चना । स्वबाहुबलमश्रित्य प्रबाधामो वयं रिपून्
sañjaya uvāca | nāsmākaṃ nikṛtir valvinakṣid yūtaṃ na vañcanā | svabāhubalam āśritya prabādhāmo vayaṃ ripūn |
Sañjaya berkata: “Kelicikan bukanlah jalan kami—bukan pula judi, bukan pula tipu daya. Bersandar pada kekuatan lengan kami sendiri, kami menekan dan menggempur musuh-musuh kami.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts an ethic of honorable conduct: victory should be sought through personal valor and open combat, not through deceitful stratagems such as cheating or gambling-based trickery.
Sañjaya describes a stance (of the warriors he speaks for) that rejects underhanded methods and emphasizes reliance on martial strength to subdue opponents in the ongoing war context.
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