Shloka 106
Vyāsa’s Consolation to Yudhiṣṭhira: Tapas, Kāla, and the Difficulty of Dāna (दान-तपस्-विवेकः)
शक््यन्ते मृदुना श्रेय: प्रतिपादयितुं तदा । परंतु गन्धर्वराज चित्रसेनके मूढ़ सैनिक ऐसे नहीं थे जिन्हें कोमलतापूर्ण बर्तावके द्वारा कल्याणके पथपर लाया जा सके
śakyante mṛdunā śreyaḥ pratipādayituṃ tadā | paraṃtu gandharvarāja citrasenake mūḍha-sainik aise nahīṃ the jinheṃ komalatāpūrṇa bartāv ke dvārā kalyāṇake path par lāyā jā sake |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “At that time, it is indeed possible to guide people toward what is truly beneficial by gentle means. But the deluded soldiers of Citraratha’s Gandharva-king, Citrasena, were not the kind who could be brought onto the path of welfare through soft and conciliatory conduct.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Gentle persuasion can lead many toward śreyaḥ (true welfare), but ethical guidance must also recognize temperament: some, being deluded and aggressive, do not respond to mildness, requiring firmer measures or different strategies.
Vaiśaṃpāyana comments that although mild conduct can often reform or guide others, the troops serving the Gandharva-king Citrasena were not receptive to conciliatory behavior, implying an escalation or the necessity of stronger action in the unfolding encounter.