Shloka 18
अग्राह्य-ज्ञातिसंबन्धमण्डल-विवेचनम् / Managing Unreadable Kinship Networks: Vāsudeva–Nārada on Cohesion
तच्च सिध्येत् प्रयत्नेन कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम् । महाक्षयं व्ययो वा स्याद् विनाशो वा पुनर्भवेत्
tac ca sidhyet prayatnena kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram | mahākṣayaṃ vyayo vā syād vināśo vā punar bhavet |
وہ مقصد سخت کوشش سے، نہایت دشوار کام کر کے، حاصل تو ہو سکتا ہے؛ مگر اس میں بڑا قتل و غارت، بھاری خرچ، اور پھر بے شمار جانوں کی دوبارہ ہلاکت ہوگی۔
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even if a political objective (such as reclaiming power) is achievable through extreme effort, dharmic reflection must weigh the cost: war brings vast destruction, financial drain, and repeated ruin. Success is not automatically justified when the means entail widespread harm.
Nārada is offering counsel in the Śānti Parva context, warning that undertaking an exceedingly difficult action—implicitly a great war—may accomplish the desired end, but it will also cause massive loss and renewed devastation.