Mahabharata 9.58.126 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 58, Shloka 126
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
यदेकविजये युद्ध पणितं घोरमीदृशम् । पाण्डुनन्दन! एककी ही हार-जीतसे सबकी हार-जीतकी शर्त लगाकर जो इन्होंने इस भयंकर युद्धको जूएका दाँव बना डाला, यह धर्मराजकी बड़ी भारी नासमझी है
yad ekavijaye yuddhe paṇitaṃ ghoram īdṛśam | pāṇḍunandana! ekakī hi hāra-jītase sabkī hāra-jītakī śarta lagākara yo inhone is bhayaṅkara yuddhako jūe kā dāṃva banā ḍālā, yah dharmarājakī baṛī bhārī nāsamajhī hai |
വായു പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ പാണ്ഡുനന്ദനാ! ഒരൊറ്റ യുദ്ധവിജയത്തിൽ ഇത്തരമൊരു ഭീകര പന്തയം വെക്കുക—ഒരാളുടെ ജയപരാജയത്തിൽ എല്ലാവരുടെയും ജയപരാജയം ബന്ധിപ്പിച്ച്, ഈ ഘോരയുദ്ധത്തെ ചൂതാട്ടത്തിന്റെ പണമായി മാറ്റുക—ഇത് ധർമ്മരാജന്റെ മഹാമൂഢതയാണ്।”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, decisions must be governed by discernment and responsibility; turning collective fate into a single reckless wager is ethically blameworthy, especially for a ruler committed to dharma.
Vāyudeva addresses a Pāṇḍava and criticizes Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) for allowing the conflict’s outcome to hinge on a single, dreadful ‘stake,’ likening the war to a gambler’s throw that endangers everyone.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.