Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 137 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa Counsel and the Ethics of Restraint
तत् करिष्यन्ति कौन्तेया वासुदेवस्य सम्मतम् | नहि ते जातु शाम्येरन्रृते राज्येन कौरव,“कुरुनन्दन! कुन्तीके पुत्र श्रीकृष्णकी सम्मतिके अनुसार वह सब कार्य करेंगे। अब राज्य लिये बिना वे कदापि शान्त नहीं रह सकते
tat kariṣyanti kaunteyā vāsudevasya sammatam | nahi te jātu śāmyeran ṛte rājyena kaurava ||
കുരുനന്ദനാ! കുന്തീപുത്രർ വാസുദേവന്റെ സമ്മതപ്രകാരം തന്നെയാകും പ്രവർത്തിക്കുക. രാജ്യം നൽകാതെ അവർ ഒരിക്കലും ശമിക്കുകയില്ല.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Legitimate sovereignty and justice cannot be replaced by mere appeasement: when rightful claims are denied, peace is unstable. The verse also highlights the ethical weight of wise counsel—here, the Pāṇḍavas align their action with Kṛṣṇa’s considered guidance rather than impulsive retaliation.
Vaiśampāyana reports that the Pāṇḍavas will proceed according to Kṛṣṇa’s decision. He emphasizes that the Kaurava side will not truly settle down unless the issue of the kingdom is resolved—signaling that the political dispute over rājya is the central, unresolved cause driving events toward war.