Shloka 18

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Dialogue on Peace and the Refusal of Compromise

Devanagari script

यावद्धि सूच्यास्तीक्ष्णाया विध्येदग्रेण मारिष । तावदप्यपरित्याज्यं भूमेर्न: पाण्डवान्‌ प्रति,पूज्य पिताजी! तीखी सूईके अग्रभागसे जितनी भूमि बिंध सकती है, उतनी भी मैं पाण्डवोंको नहीं दे सकता

Transliteration

yāvad dhi sūcyās tīkṣṇāyā vidhyed agreṇa māriṣa | tāvad apy aparityājyaṃ bhūmer naḥ pāṇḍavān prati ||

Translation

Wahai tuan yang mulia, seluas tanah yang dapat ditembusi oleh hujung jarum yang tajam—walau sebesar itu sahaja—tidak akan aku lepaskan kepada para Pāṇḍava.

Word by Word

यावत्as much as; so long as

हिindeed; for

सूच्याःof a needle

तीक्ष्णायाःof a sharp

विध्येत्might pierce

अग्रेणwith the tip; by the point

मारिषO venerable sir

तावत्so much; to that extent

अपिeven; also

अपरित्याज्यम्not to be given up; not to be relinquished

भूमेःof land; of the earth

नःof us; our

पाण्डवान्to/for the Pāṇḍavas

प्रतिtowards; with regard to

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Pāṇḍavas

needle (sūcī)

land/territory (bhūmi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how rigid attachment to power and property can override ethical compromise; Duryodhana’s refusal to yield even a needle-point of land exemplifies adharma-driven obstinacy that makes peaceful settlement impossible.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the pre-war negotiations in the Udyoga Parva, Duryodhana states unequivocally that he will not give the Pāṇḍavas any portion of land—using the needle-tip measure to stress absolute denial—thereby escalating the conflict toward the Kurukṣetra war.