Shloka 22

युधिष्ठिरस्य कृष्णार्जुनादि-समाश्वासनम्

Yudhiṣṭhira’s reassurance and praise of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, Bhīma, and Sātyaki

Devanagari script

पूर्वमुक्तश्न ते भ्राता भीष्मेणासौ सुयोधन:,'पूर्वकालमें भीष्मजीने तुम्हारे भाई दुर्योधनसे यह कहा था कि 'सौम्य! पाण्डव युद्धमें अजेय हैं। तुम उनके साथ संधि कर लो।” परंतु तुम्हारे मूर्ख भ्राता दुर्योधनने वह कार्य नहीं किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | pūrvam uktaś ca te bhrātā bhīṣmeṇāsau suyodhanaḥ | pūrvakāle bhīṣmeṇa tava bhrātā duryodhanam uktavān—“saumya! pāṇḍavā yuddhe’jeyāḥ; taiḥ saha sandhiṃ kuru” iti | kintu tava mūḍho bhrātā duryodhanas tat na cakāra |

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹಿಂದೆ ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ನಿನ್ನ ಸಹೋದರ ಸುಯೋಧನನಿಗೆ ಉಪದೇಶಿಸಿದ್ದನು—“ಸೌಮ್ಯಾ! ಪಾಂಡವರು ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಜೇಯರು; ಅವರೊಡನೆ ಸಂಧಿ ಮಾಡು.” ಆದರೂ ನಿನ್ನ ಮೋಹಗ್ರಸ್ತ ಸಹೋದರ ದುರ್ಯೋಧನನು ಆ ಸಲಹೆಯನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

उक्तःsaid, spoken

स्मindeed (past narrative particle)

तेof you, your

भ्राताbrother

भीष्मेणby Bhishma

असौthat (man), he

सुयोधनःSuyodhana (Duryodhana)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra

Bhishma

Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

Pandavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise counsel grounded in realism and dharma should be heeded; pride and delusion (mūḍhatā) lead to avoidable ruin. Bhishma’s call for sandhi highlights the ethical preference for reconciliation over destructive war when victory is unlikely and harm is certain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reminds Dhritarashtra that Bhishma had earlier warned Duryodhana that the Pandavas could not be defeated in war and urged him to make peace. Duryodhana ignored this advice, setting the stage for the catastrophic consequences unfolding in the battle.