Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अप्रदानेन राज्यस्य शान्तिमस्मासु मार्गति । लुब्ध: पापेन मनसा चरन्नसममात्मन:,राजा धृतराष्ट्रको राज्यका बड़ा लोभ है। उनके मनमें पाप बस गया है। अतः वे अपने अनुरूप व्यवहार न करके राज्य दिये बिना ही हमारे साथ संधिका मार्ग ढूँढ़ रहे हैं

Transliteration

apradānena rājyasya śāntim asmāsu mārgati | lubdhaḥ pāpena manasā carann asamam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—राज्य न देता तो आमच्याशी संधी शोधतो. लोभाने प्रेरित व पापाने कलुषित मनाचा होऊन, आपल्या पदास अनुरूप न वागता तो शांतिचा मार्ग शोधीत आहे.

Word by Word

अप्रदानेनby (the act of) not giving

राज्यस्यof the kingdom

शान्तिम्peace

अस्मासुamong us / with respect to us

मार्गतिseeks

लुब्धःgreedy

पापेनwith sin / by sinful (intent)

मनसाwith (his) mind

चरन्acting / behaving

असमम्unequal / improper

आत्मनःof himself / of his own (nature)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

rājya (kingdom)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Peace-making is ethically hollow when it is pursued without justice. Yudhiṣṭhira criticizes a reconciliation that refuses rightful restitution (the kingdom), portraying such ‘peace’ as rooted in greed and moral corruption rather than dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to war, Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the Kuru court’s stance: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as characterized here) seeks a treaty with the Pāṇḍavas while withholding the kingdom, revealing a negotiation strategy driven by attachment and fear rather than fair settlement.