Shloka 9
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
महातेजस्वी केशव! (इन्होंने संजयसे इस प्रकार कहा था--) संजय! तुम दुर्योधन और उसके सुहृदोंके सामने मेरी यह माँग रख देना--'तात! तुम हमें अविस्थल, वृकस्थल, माकन्दी, वारणावत तथा अन्तिम पाँचवाँ कोई एक गाँव--इन पाँच गाँवोंको ही दे दो” ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahātejasvin keśava! (anena sañjayāyaivaṃ proktam) — sañjaya! tvaṃ duryodhana-suhṛdāṃ samakṣaṃ mama etāṃ yācanāṃ nivedaya — “tāta! avasthalaṃ vṛkasthalaṃ mākandīṃ vāraṇāvataṃ ca, pañcamaṃ cāntimaṃ kiṃcid ekaṃ grāmaṃ — etān eva pañca grāmān asmabhyaṃ dehi” iti || na cāpi hākaro dū vākyaṃ śrutvā kṛṣṇa suyodhanaḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasya dāśārha śrīmataḥ sandhim icchataḥ || daśārha-kula-bhūṣaṇa śrīkṛṣṇa! sandhiṃ icchataḥ śrīmataḥ yudhiṣṭhirasya idaṃ (namratā-pūrṇaṃ) vacanaṃ śrutvāpi duryodhanena na pratijagṛhe ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó Keśava de grande esplendor! (Foi isto o que ele dissera a Saṃjaya:) ‘Saṃjaya, na presença de Duryodhana e de seus amigos, apresenta este meu pedido: “Meu caro, dá-nos apenas estas cinco aldeias—Avasthala, Vṛkasthala, Mākandī, Vāraṇāvata, e, como quinta e última, qualquer outra aldeia.”’” Contudo, ó Kṛṣṇa, ornamento da linhagem dos Dāśārha, mesmo após ouvir essa proposta humilde do ilustre Yudhiṣṭhira, que desejava a conciliação, Suyodhana (Duryodhana) não a aceitou.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a minimal, reasonable claim offered in a spirit of reconciliation can be rejected when driven by pride and greed; the verse highlights how refusal of fair compromise becomes an ethical failure that propels society toward war.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking peace, asks through Sañjaya for only five villages (named explicitly). Duryodhana, despite hearing this humble proposal, refuses to accept it, signaling the breakdown of negotiations.