Kṛṣṇasya Karṇam Prati Sāntvavacana
Kṛṣṇa’s Conciliatory Address to Karṇa
त्वमुक्तः कुरुवृद्धेन मया च विदुरेण च । वासुदेवेन च तथा श्रेयो नैवाभिमन्यसे
tvam uktaḥ kuru-vṛddhena mayā ca vidureṇa ca | vāsudevena ca tathā śreyo naivābhimanyase ||
ਕੁਰੂਆਂ ਦੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ, ਮੈਂ ਨੇ, ਵਿਦੁਰ ਨੇ ਅਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਾਸੁਦੇਵ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਤੇਰੇ ਹੀ ਭਲੇ ਦੀ ਸਲਾਹ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ; ਪਰ ਤੂੰ ਉਸ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਯਸਕਰ ਰਾਹ ਨੂੰ ਮੰਨਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ।
भीष्म उवाच
True welfare (śreyaḥ) is often known through the counsel of wise, impartial well-wishers; rejecting such guidance out of attachment or pride leads to ethical collapse and the escalation of conflict.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Bhishma reminds the listener (implicitly the Kuru ruler) that multiple respected figures—Kuru elders, Bhishma himself, Vidura, and Krishna—have all urged a beneficial, peace-aligned course, but that counsel is being disregarded.