Shloka 23
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
युधिष्ठटिरस्य वचन मा युध्यस्वेति सर्वदा
yudhiṣṭhirasya vacanaṃ mā yudhyasveti sarvadā
ธฤตราษฏระตรัสว่า “เรายังระลึกถึงถ้อยคำของยุธิษฐิระ—‘อย่ารบ’—ซึ่งกล่าวย้ำแล้วกล่าวย้ำเล่า”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of counsel that urges restraint—“do not fight”—and implicitly contrasts it with the reality that, once adharma has matured into open conflict, even wise advice may be remembered too late. It points to the ethical burden of leadership: preventing war early is easier than stopping it once set in motion.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing the war reports, recalls Yudhiṣṭhira’s repeated words advising against fighting. The remembrance functions as a reflective moment, underscoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s inner conflict and the tragic irony that such counsel did not avert the catastrophe.