Shloka 12

अध्याय 24 — संजयस्य शमोपदेशः

Sanjaya’s Counsel Toward Conciliation

Devanagari script

महद्‌ बल धार्तराष्ट्रस्य राज्ञ: को वै शक्तो हन्तुमक्षीयमाण: । सो<हं जये चैव पराजये च निः:श्रेयसं नाधिगच्छामि किज्चित्‌,राजा दुर्योधनके पास विशाल वाहिनी एकत्र हो गयी है। कौन ऐसा वीर है जो स्वयं क्षीण न होकर उस सेनाका विनाश कर सके? मैं तो इस युद्धमें किसी भी पक्षकी जय हो या पराजय, कोई कल्याणकी बात नहीं देखता हूँ

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

mahad balaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya rājñaḥ ko vai śakto hantum akṣīyamāṇaḥ |

so 'haṃ jaye caiva parājaye ca niḥśreyasaṃ nādhigacchāmi kiñcit ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Besar benar kekuatan pihak Raja Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Siapakah yang mampu memusnahkan bala tentera itu tanpa dirinya sendiri turut susut dan letih? Bagiku, sama ada menang atau kalah, aku tidak melihat kebaikan yang sejati—tiada kesejahteraan yang berkekalan—lahir daripada perang ini.”

Word by Word

• {'mahat': 'great, vast', 'balam': 'strength

• military force/army', 'dhārtarāṣṭrasya': 'of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

• of the Kaurava party', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'kaḥ vai': 'who indeed?', 'śaktaḥ': 'able, capable', 'hantum': 'to slay, destroy', 'akṣīyamāṇaḥ': 'not being diminished

• not being worn down', "saḥ aham (so 'ham)": 'I (for my part)', 'jaye': 'in victory', 'parājaye': 'in defeat', 'ca eva': 'and indeed

• in either case', 'niḥśreyasam': 'highest good

• true blessedness', 'na adhigacchāmi': 'I do not find/attain', 'kiñcit': 'anything at all'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kaurava army (Dhārtarāṣṭra-bala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sañjaya highlights that sheer military might does not guarantee a righteous or beneficial outcome; even victory can be spiritually and socially barren if achieved through destructive war. The key ethical point is the absence of niḥśreyasa—lasting welfare—in a conflict driven by ambition and hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra about the formidable consolidation of the Kaurava forces and doubts that anyone can annihilate such an army without suffering severe depletion. He then offers his judgment that, regardless of which side wins or loses, he foresees no genuine good emerging from the impending war.