Shloka 13
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
मधुसूदन! कौरवोंके प्रति साम और दाननीतिका प्रयोग करनेसे कोई प्रयोजन सिद्ध नहीं हो सकता। अत: उनपर आपको कभी कृपा नहीं करनी चाहिये ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sāmnā dānena vā kṛṣṇa ye na śāmyanti śatravaḥ | yoktavyas teṣu daṇḍaḥ svāj jīvitaṃ parirakṣatā ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच—कृष्ण, ये शत्रवः साम्ना दानेन वा न शाम्यन्ति, तेषु दण्डः प्रयोज्यः; स्वजीवितं परिरक्षता पुरुषेण तेषु दण्डो योज्यः।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When conciliation (sāma) and gifts (dāna) fail to restrain an aggressor, dharma permits the use of daṇḍa—coercive punishment/force—especially to protect life and prevent further harm.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker frames a pragmatic ethical counsel to Kṛṣṇa: diplomacy has limits, and with implacable enemies one must be prepared to enforce order through punishment.