Shloka 14
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
काशिकभिश्रेदिपज्चालै मत्स्यैश्न मधुसूदन । भवता चैव नाथेन पज्च ग्रामा वृता मया
Kāśikabhiś Cedi-Pañcālaiḥ Matsyaiś ca, Madhusūdana; bhavatā caiva nāthena pañca grāmā vṛtā mayā, Madhusūdana.
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Madhusūdana, para kesatria Kāśī, Cedi, Pañcāla, dan Matsya berpihak kepada kami, dan engkau sendiri adalah pelindung serta tuan kami. Dengan dukungan sebesar itu kami dapat menuntut seluruh kerajaan; namun demi mencegah pertumpahan darah yang sia-sia, dengan pengendalian diri menurut dharma aku hanya memohon lima desa.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one has strong allies and the power to claim everything, dharma favors restraint, proportional demands, and sincere efforts to prevent unnecessary violence.
Yudhiṣṭhira reminds Kṛṣṇa that the Pāṇḍavas have major allied kingdoms and Kṛṣṇa’s protection, yet he deliberately limited his request to only five villages as a peace-oriented settlement.