Shloka 10

कृष्ण-दूतविषये दुर्योधनस्य बन्धन-प्रस्तावः — Duryodhana’s Proposal to Detain Krishna

Envoy-Ethics Debate

Devanagari script

अर्थन तु महाबाहुं वाष्णेयं त्वं जिहीर्षसि । अनेन चाप्युपायेन पाण्डवेभ्यो बिभेत्स्यसि,आप तो धन देकर महाबाहु श्रीकृष्णको अपने पक्षमें लाना चाहते हैं और इस उपायसे आप यह आशा रखते हैं कि आप उन्हें पाण्डवोंकी ओरसे फोड़ लेंगे

Transliteration

arthena tu mahābāhuṁ vāṣṇeyaṁ tvaṁ jihīrṣasi | anena cāpy upāyena pāṇḍavebhyo bibhetsyasi ||

Translation

Sabi ni Vidura: “O makapangyarihang bisig, sa pamamagitan ng yaman ay nais mong mapapanig ang Vāṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa) sa iyo. At sa gayong pakana, inaasahan mong maihiwalay siya sa mga Pāṇḍava, upang sila’y maiwan sa takot at pangamba.”

Word by Word

अर्थात्therefore / in fact

तुbut

महाबाहुम्the mighty-armed one

वाष्णेयम्the Vṛṣṇi-descendant (Kṛṣṇa)

त्वम्you

जिहीर्षसिyou wish to take away / win over

अनेनby this

चand

अपिalso / even

उपायेनby a means / strategy

पाण्डवेभ्यःfrom the Pāṇḍavas

बिभेत्स्यसिyou will fear

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Kṛṣṇa (Vāṣṇeya)

Pāṇḍavas

Mahābāhu (addressed person, likely Dhṛtarāṣṭra or Duryodhana depending on context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura condemns the attempt to use wealth as a tool to purchase loyalty and fracture righteous alliances. The verse highlights that political success sought through bribery and manipulation undermines dharma and reveals moral insecurity rather than true strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to war, Vidura critiques the Kaurava side’s plan to win Kṛṣṇa over with gifts or wealth, hoping thereby to detach him from the Pāṇḍavas and weaken them through fear. It is part of Vidura’s broader counsel warning against unethical statecraft.