Shloka 22
धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama
क्षयोदयो<यं सुमहान् कुरूणां प्रत्युपस्थित: । अस्य चेत् कलहस्यान्त: शमादन्यो न विद्यते
kṣayodayo ’yaṃ sumahān kurūṇāṃ pratyupasthitaḥ | asya cet kalahasyāntaḥ śamād anyo na vidyate ||
Waiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Suatu titik balik yang besar—kehancuran dan guncangan—telah mendekati para Kuru. Jika akhir pertikaian ini tak dapat dicapai selain melalui pendamaian dan perjanjian, maka perjanjian sajalah yang menurutku benar. Tidak patut memancing perang dengan putra-putra Kuntī; sejak lama aku memandang Pāṇḍava lebih kuat daripada Kaurava.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a conflict threatens collective ruin, dharma favors śama—restraint, pacification, and settlement—over escalation into war, especially when war is both morally improper and strategically disastrous.
The narrator frames the Kuru situation as a decisive crisis: destruction is imminent unless the quarrel is ended through peace-making. The statement also underscores the perceived superiority of the Pāṇḍavas, warning against initiating war with them.