Shloka 8

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization

Devanagari script

अप्रदानेन राज्यस्य शान्तिमस्मासु मार्गति । लुब्ध: पापेन मनसा चरन्नसममात्मन:

Transliteration

apradānena rājyasya śāntim asmāsu mārgati | lubdhaḥ pāpena manasā carann asamam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Tanpa menyerahkan kerajaan, ia mencari perdamaian dengan kami. Didorong kerakusan dan dengan batin ternoda dosa, ia bertindak tidak sepadan dengan kedudukannya—mencari damai sambil menolak hak kedaulatan yang semestinya diberikan.”

Word by Word

• अप्रदानेन: by (the act of) not giving
• अप्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राज्यस्य: of the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• शान्तिम्: peace
• शान्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्मासु: among us / with respect to us
• अस्मासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Plural

• मार्गति: seeks
• Type: Verb
• Root: मार्ग्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• लुब्धः: greedy
• लुब्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापेन: with sin / by sinful (intent)
• पापेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• चरन्: acting / behaving
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असमम्: unequal / improper
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: of himself / of his own (nature)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• rājya (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Peace-making is ethically hollow when it is pursued without justice. Yudhiṣṭhira criticizes a reconciliation that refuses rightful restitution (the kingdom), portraying such ‘peace’ as rooted in greed and moral corruption rather than dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to war, Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the Kuru court’s stance: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as characterized here) seeks a treaty with the Pāṇḍavas while withholding the kingdom, revealing a negotiation strategy driven by attachment and fear rather than fair settlement.