Shloka 18
अग्राह्य-ज्ञातिसंबन्धमण्डल-विवेचनम् / Managing Unreadable Kinship Networks: Vāsudeva–Nārada on Cohesion
तच्च सिध्येत् प्रयत्नेन कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम् । महाक्षयं व्ययो वा स्याद् विनाशो वा पुनर्भवेत्,बड़े प्रयत्नसे अत्यन्त दुष्कर कर्म महान् संहाररूप युद्ध करनेपर राज्यको वापस लेनेका कार्य सिद्ध हो सकता है, परंतु इसमें धनका बहुत व्यय और असंख्य मनुष्योंका पुन: विनाश होगा
tac ca sidhyet prayatnena kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram | mahākṣayaṃ vyayo vā syād vināśo vā punar bhavet |
तो हेतू मोठ्या प्रयत्नाने, अत्यंत दुष्कर कर्म करून, साध्य होऊ शकतो; पण त्यात महान् संहार, प्रचंड खर्च आणि पुन्हा असंख्य जीवांचा विनाश होईल।
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even if a political objective (such as reclaiming power) is achievable through extreme effort, dharmic reflection must weigh the cost: war brings vast destruction, financial drain, and repeated ruin. Success is not automatically justified when the means entail widespread harm.
Nārada is offering counsel in the Śānti Parva context, warning that undertaking an exceedingly difficult action—implicitly a great war—may accomplish the desired end, but it will also cause massive loss and renewed devastation.