Shloka 42
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा—व्यासोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and Vyāsa’s Counsel
यतितं धर्मपुत्रेण मया गुहे निवेदिते । अविग्रहे कौरवाणां दैवं तु बलवत्तरम्
yatitaṁ dharmaputreṇa mayā guhe nivedite | avigrahe kauravāṇāṁ daivaṁ tu balavattaram ||
Vyāsa said: “Though Dharmaputra strove for peace, and though I too conveyed the proposal in secret, the Kauravas would not be reconciled—for in this matter destiny proved stronger.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even sincere, dharma-grounded efforts toward peace can fail when entrenched hostility and the momentum of destiny prevail; the verse highlights the tension between human endeavor (puruṣakāra) and fate (daiva), without denying the ethical value of striving for reconciliation.
Vyāsa reflects that Yudhiṣṭhira attempted to avert conflict and that Vyāsa privately conveyed the peace initiative, yet the Kauravas did not accept reconciliation—implying that the war’s unfolding was driven by forces stronger than counsel and negotiation.