Shloka 21
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 73 — Kr̥ṣṇa’s Appraisal of Bhīma’s Altered Temper and Reaffirmation of Martial Resolve
अप्युदासीनवृत्ति: स्याद् यथा न: कुरुभि: सह । वासुदेव तथा कार्य न कुरूननय: स्पृशेत्
apy udāsīnavṛttiḥ syād yathā naḥ kurubhiḥ saha | vāsudeva tathā kāryaṃ na kurūn anayaḥ spṛśet ||
Bhima berkata: “Biarlah sikap kita terhadap para Kuru tetap seperti adanya: berjarak dan netral. Wahai Vāsudeva, engkau harus bertindak sedemikian rupa sehingga para Kuru tidak tersentuh noda ketidakadilan—jangan sampai ada salah yang menimpa mereka.”
भीम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid looming conflict, one should act so that one’s side remains ethically clean: maintain restraint and avoid letting injustice—especially retaliatory or opportunistic wrongdoing—attach to one’s conduct toward opponents.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Bhima addresses Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) as a key mediator, urging him to pursue a course that preserves the Pandavas’ stance of principled detachment and ensures that no unjust action is committed against the Kuru party.