Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एषा मे परमा बुद्धिर्यया शाम्यति मे मन: । यदि त्वयुद्धमिष्टं वो वयं शान्त्ये यतामहे,कौरवो! मैं पाण्डवोंके साथ युद्ध न होना ही अच्छा मानता हूँ। तुमलोग इसे अच्छी तरह समझ लो। यदि युद्ध हुआ तो समस्त कुरुकुलका विनाश अवश्यम्भावी है। मेरी बुद्धिका यही सर्वोत्तम निश्चय है। इसीसे मेरे मनको शान्ति मिलती है। यदि तुम्हें भी युद्ध न होना ही अभीष्ट हो तो हम शान्तिके लिये प्रयत्न करें

Transliteration

eṣā me paramā buddhir yayā śāmyati me manaḥ | yadi tvayuddham iṣṭaṃ vo vayaṃ śāntye yatāmahe ||

Translation

ドリタラーシュトラは言った。「これが我が最高の決意であり、これによって我が心は鎮まる。汝らが真に無戦を望むなら、平和のために努めよう。」

Word by Word

एषाthis (she/this idea)

मेof me / my

परमाsupreme, highest

बुद्धिःjudgment, resolve

ययाby which

शाम्यतिbecomes calm, is pacified

मेmy

मनःmind

यदिif

त्वयाby you

युद्धम्war

इष्टम्desired, wished

वःof you (all) / your

वयम्we

शान्त्यैfor peace

यतामहेwe strive, we make effort

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kauravas

Pāṇḍavas

Kuru lineage (Kurukula)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates peace-making over aggression: the ‘best’ intelligence is that which calms the mind and seeks reconciliation. Ethically, it suggests that choosing non-violence and negotiation is wiser than a war that would destroy one’s own family and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses the Kauravas, expressing a preference for avoiding war with the Pāṇḍavas and urging that, if they too desire non-war, they should actively pursue peace.