Shloka 8
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
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
apradānena rājyasya śāntim asmāsu mārgati | lubdhaḥ pāpena manasā carann asamam ātmanaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Tanpa menyerahkan kerajaan, dia mencari perdamaian dengan kami. Didorong oleh ketamakan dan hati yang dicemari dosa, dia bertindak tidak sepadan dengan martabatnya—mencari damai sambil menolak pemberian kedaulatan yang semestinya.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.