अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः
Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance
इदं पुनर्वचन धार्त॑राष्ट्र सुयोधनं संजय श्रावयेथा: । यस्ते शरीरे हृदयं दुनोति काम: कुरूनसपत्नो<नुशिष्याम्
idaṃ punarvacanaṃ dhārtarāṣṭra suyodhanaṃ saṃjaya śrāvayethāḥ | yas te śarīre hṛdayaṃ dunoti kāmaḥ kurūn asapatno 'nuśiṣyām, saṃjaya |
「サンジャヤよ、この言葉を再びドリタラーシュトラの子スヨーダナに聞かせよ。『汝の内に起こった渇望—クル族を無二の王として治めんとする欲—は、ただ汝の心を責め苛むのみ。成就の道はない。我らは、汝の望むことが果たされるのを許すほど、男の決意に欠けてはいない。バーラタ族の第一の勇士よ、インドラプラスタを我に返せ。さもなくば、戦を選べ。』」
युधिछिर उवाच
Unrestrained desire for unrivalled power (kāma) becomes self-torment and leads to ruin; righteous kingship requires restraint and fairness. When a just claim is denied, a kṣatriya may issue a final ethical ultimatum: restore what is due or face war.
Yudhiṣṭhira instructs Sañjaya to deliver a firm message to Duryodhana: his ambition to rule the Kurus without rival is impossible to realize without causing conflict; therefore he must return Indraprastha to the Pāṇḍavas, otherwise war will follow.