Shloka 223
पाण्डवानां प्रसादेन भोक्ष्ये राज्यमहं कथम् | “अभिमन्युके विनाशसे जिनके हृदयमें गहरी चोट पहुँची है, उस अर्जुनके साथ मेरी सन्धि कैसे हो सकती है? जब मैं समुद्रसे घिरी हुई सारी पृथ्वीका एकच्छत्र राजाकी हैसियतसे उपभोग कर चुका हूँ, तब इस समय पाण्डवोंकी कृपाका पात्र बनकर कैसे राज्य भोगूँगा?
pāṇḍavānāṃ prasādena bhokṣye rājyam ahaṃ katham |
Sañjaya said: “How could I ever enjoy the kingdom by the Pāṇḍavas’ favor?” The line conveys a warrior’s pride and moral resistance to living on an enemy’s grace—especially after having claimed sovereign enjoyment of the earth—making reconciliation feel like humiliation rather than peace.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical psychology of kingship in epic culture: accepting rule as a gift from one’s rivals can be felt as loss of autonomy and honor. It frames political settlement not only as a practical outcome but as a moral-emotional issue tied to dignity, legitimacy, and the warrior code.
In the Shalya Parva context, Sañjaya reports a speaker’s refusal to accept a kingdom dependent on the Pāṇḍavas’ grace. The statement underscores resistance to compromise after intense conflict, where the prospect of living under an opponent’s ‘favor’ is rejected as intolerable.