Shloka 37
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
ततः सखायं गान्धारे मानयन् पाकशासनम् । अकरोत् संविदं तेन पाण्डवेन महात्मना,गान्धारीकुमार! कुछ दिनों बाद भगदत्तने अपने सखा इन्द्रका सम्मान करते हुए महात्मा पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनके साथ संधि कर ली थी
tataḥ sakhāyaṃ gāndhāre mānayan pākaśāsanam | akarot saṃvidaṃ tena pāṇḍavena mahātmanā ||
Kemudian, di tanah Gandhāra, dengan menghormati sahabatnya Pākaśāsana (Indra), dia pun mengikat perjanjian dengan Pāṇḍava yang berhati luhur itu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that righteous statecraft values honor and relationship-based diplomacy: showing respect (mānana) and forming pacts (saṃvid) can be ethically preferable and strategically wiser than immediate hostility, especially in the shadow of impending conflict.
Bhīṣma recounts that, in Gandhāra, a pact was concluded with the great-souled Pāṇḍava (understood as Arjuna), while honoring Pākaśāsana (Indra) as a revered ally/friend—signaling the formation of supportive alliances in the broader mobilization around the Kurukṣetra war.