Shloka 12
स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीभीमसेनसंवादः
Strī-parva — Gāndhārī–Bhīmasena Dialogue on Wartime Conduct
क्षमाशीला पुरा भूत्वा साद्य न क्षमसे कथम् | अधर्म जहि धर्मज्ञे यतो धर्मस्ततो जय:,“धर्मज्ञे! तुम तो पहले बड़ी क्षमाशील थी। अब क्यों नहीं क्षमा करती हो? अधर्म छोड़ो क्योंकि जहाँ धर्म है, वहीं विजय है
kṣamāśīlā purā bhūtvā sādyā na kṣamase katham | adharma jahi dharmajñe yato dharmas tato jayaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai yang mengetahui dharma, dahulu engkau penyabar dan pemaaf—mengapa kini engkau tidak memaafkan? Tinggalkan adharma; kerana di tempat dharma berdiri, di situlah kemenangan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges a return to kṣamā (forgiveness) and the abandonment of adharma, asserting the ethical principle that true victory aligns with dharma—moral order and right conduct—rather than with anger or vengeance.
In the Stree Parva’s grief-filled aftermath of war, a speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) addresses a woman renowned for patience, questioning her present lack of forgiveness and counseling her to renounce unrighteous impulses, grounding the appeal in the maxim that victory belongs where dharma is upheld.