Shloka 10
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 27 — Saṃjaya’s Counsel on Dharma, Desire, and the Non-Perishing of Karma
यदि हाहं विसृजन् साम गहाों नियुध्यमानो यदि जहां स्वधर्मम् । महायशा: केशवस्तद् ब्रवीतु वासुदेवस्तूभयोरर्थकाम:
yadi hāhaṁ visṛjan sāma gāḍhaṁ niyudhyamāno yadi jahyāṁ svadharmam | mahāyaśāḥ keśavas tad bravītu vāsudevas tūbhayor arthakāmaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Se, abandonando a conciliação, eu me lançasse numa batalha feroz e, ao fazê-lo, viesse a abandonar o meu próprio dever—então que o ilustre Keśava me diga o que é correto. Que Vāsudeva, que busca o verdadeiro bem de ambos, declare o caminho que sirva ao nosso bem-estar.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma: when peaceful conciliation (sāma) fails, entering war may be necessary, yet one must ensure it does not become a lapse from svadharma. Yudhiṣṭhira therefore seeks Kṛṣṇa’s guidance as a moral arbiter who aims at the true welfare of both sides.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the consequences of abandoning diplomacy and taking up battle. He turns to Kṛṣṇa (Keśava/Vāsudeva) to state what course is right and beneficial amid the escalating conflict.