Shloka 8
उद्योगपर्व — विदुरोक्तिः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra Addressed on Sincerity, Hospitality, and Settlement
दासीनामप्रजातानां शुभानां रुक्मवर्चसाम् | शतमस्मै प्रदास्यामि दासानामपि तावताम्
dāsīnām aprajātānāṁ śubhānāṁ rukmavarcasām | śatam asmai pradāsyāmi dāsānām api tāvatām ||
ドリタラーシュトラは言った。「吉祥にして黄金のごとく輝き、いまだ母とならぬ（子を産んだことのない）侍女を百人、彼に与えよう。さらに同数の男の僕も与える。」
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension: attempting to resolve a grave ethical and political crisis through material inducements. It implicitly contrasts wealth-based appeasement with the deeper requirement of dharma—fairness, rightful conduct, and accountability.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra is proposing lavish gifts—hundreds of servants—to the other party as part of negotiations meant to avert escalation. The offer reflects the court’s diplomatic maneuvering on the eve of war, seeking settlement through concessions rather than addressing the underlying injustice.