अब्रवीन्मधुरां वाचं सर्वधर्मार्थतत्त्ववित् तब सम्पूर्ण धर्म और अर्थके तत्त्वको जाननेवाले वृष्णिनन्दन भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण अमर्षशील दुर्योधनकी ओर घूमकर मधुर वाणीमें उससे बोले--
abravīn madhurāṃ vācaṃ sarvadharmārthatattvavit | tataḥ sampūrṇa-dharma-artha-tattvaṃ jānann vṛṣṇinandano bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇo 'marṣaśīlaṃ duryodhanaṃ prati parāvṛtya madhuravāṇyā tam abravīt ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Então o bem-aventurado Śrī Kṛṣṇa, alegria dos Vṛṣṇis—aquele que compreende plenamente os verdadeiros princípios do dharma e do artha—voltou-se para o irascível Duryodhana e falou-lhe com palavras suaves, ponderadas e medidas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
True counsel combines dharma (moral right) with artha (practical welfare). Even when addressing an angry opponent, one should speak with restraint and sweetness, aiming to guide conduct rather than inflame hostility.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana introduces a moment where Kṛṣṇa turns toward Duryodhana and begins speaking to him gently. It signals the start of Kṛṣṇa’s ethically informed diplomatic address in the tense pre-war setting.