Shloka 29

ऋषिसमागमः — युधिष्ठिरस्य शोकवर्णनम्

Sage Assembly and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Articulation of Grief

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठटिरेण संधिं हि यदि कुर्या मते तव

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhireṇa sandhiṃ hi yadi kuryā mate tava

Translation

നിന്റെ ഉപദേശപ്രകാരം യുദ്ധിഷ്ഠിരൻ സന്ധി ചെയ്‌താൽ, പ്രതികാരത്തിന്റെ പാത സംയമത്തിലേക്ക് തിരിയും; അപ്പോൾ തീരുമാനത്തിന്റെ ഭാരമൊക്കെയും ധർമ്മത്തിന്മേലാകും—ഭീകരമായ അന്യായത്തിനു ശേഷം പോലും നീതിയും കടമയും വെടിയാതെ സമാധാനം സ്വീകരിക്കാമോ?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरेण: by Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सन्धिम्: peace; treaty
• सन्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्धि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• कुर्यात्: should make; would do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मते: in the opinion; in the view
• मते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तव: of you; your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic dilemma: whether making sandhi (peace) is truly righteous when weighed against justice, duty, and the moral consequences of past wrongdoing. It highlights that counsel must be tested against ethical responsibility, not merely expediency.

What is happening in the narrative?

A conditional proposal is raised: if Yudhiṣṭhira, following the addressee’s advice, were to pursue a treaty, the discussion shifts to evaluating peace as a deliberate moral choice—setting the stage for reflection on governance, restraint, and the aftermath of conflict.