Shloka 15
Adhyāya 20 — Rājadharma Argument for Paternal Inheritance and Timely Conciliation
यश्चापि धार्तराष्ट्रस्य हेतु: स्याद् विग्रहं प्रति । स च हेतुर्न मन्तव्यो बलीयांसस्तथा हि ते
yaścāpi dhārtarāṣṭrasya hetuḥ syād vigrahaṃ prati | sa ca hetur na mantavyo balīyāṃs tathā hi te |
ហើយមូលហេតុ ឬលេសណាមួយ ដែលកូនធ្រិតរាស្ត្រ យកមកអះអាង ដើម្បីចូលទៅសង្គ្រាម មូលហេតុនោះ មិនគួរទទួលយកថាជាការត្រឹមត្រូវទេ; ព្រោះតាមពិត បុរសទាំងនោះ—បណ្ឌវៈ—មានកម្លាំងលើសជាង។
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A stated ‘cause’ for war is not automatically legitimate; motives must be tested against truth and prudence. Here the counsel rejects Duryodhana’s war-justification because it ignores the reality that the Pāṇḍavas are stronger—implying that reckless, unjustified violence is both unethical and self-destructive.
Vaiśampāyana reports an assessment of the coming conflict: whatever rationale Duryodhana advances for fighting should not be treated as a valid basis, since the Pāṇḍavas surpass the Kauravas in strength. The verse functions as a warning against proceeding to war on flawed reasoning.