Shloka 25
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 137 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa Counsel and the Ethics of Restraint
कुरु वाक्यं पितुर्मातुरस्माकं च हितैषिणाम् । त्वय्यायत्तो महाबाहो शमो व्यायाम एव च,“महाबाहो! तुम पिता, माता तथा हम हितैषियों-का कहना मानो। अब शान्तिस्थापन और युद्ध दोनों तुम्हारे ही अधीन हैं
kuru vākyaṃ pitur mātur asmākaṃ ca hitaiṣiṇām | tvayy āyatto mahābāho śamo vyāyāma eva ca ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Segue o conselho de teu pai e de tua mãe, e o de nós, que buscamos o teu bem. Ó de braços poderosos, tanto fazer a paz quanto empreender a guerra repousam agora sobre ti.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses accountable leadership: a ruler must heed the guidance of parents and true well-wishers, recognizing that the moral burden of choosing reconciliation or conflict ultimately lies with him.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the narrator reports an appeal to a heroic prince: accept the advice of elders and allies, because the decision to secure peace or to proceed to war is now in his hands.