Shloka 7
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana
Keśava-vākya aftermath
सुहृत्कार्य तु सुमहत् कृत॑ ते स्याज्जनार्दन । “'जनार्दन! दुरात्मा राजा दुर्योधनकी बुद्धि पापमें लगी हुई है। यह पापका ही चिन्तन करनेवाला, क्रूर और विवेकशून्य है। आप ही इसे समझाइये। यदि आप इसे संधिके लिये राजी कर लें तो आपके द्वारा सुहृदोंका यह बहुत बड़ा कार्य सम्पन्न हो जायगा” ।। ततोभ्यावृत्य वार्ष्णेयो दुर्योधनममर्षणम्
suhṛt-kāryaṃ tu sumahat kṛtaṃ te syāj janārdana | “janārdana! durātmā rājā duryodhanasya buddhīḥ pāpe lagā huī hai | eṣa pāpasyaiva cintanakar, krūraḥ, viveka-śūnyaś ca | tvam eva enam upadiśa | yadi tvaṃ enaṃ sandhaye rājī-kuryāḥ, tarhi tvayā suhṛdāṃ etad atimahat kāryaṃ sampannaṃ bhaviṣyati” || tato 'bhyāvṛtya vārṣṇeyo duryodhanam amarṣaṇam |
اے جناردن! اگر آپ ایسا کر دیں تو دوستوں کا ایک نہایت بڑا کام آپ کے ہاتھوں پورا ہو جائے گا۔ پھر وارشنیہ (کرشن) پلٹ کر اس ضدی دُریودھن سے مخاطب ہوا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames peace-making as a profound ethical duty: when a leader’s intellect is bound to wrongdoing and lacks discernment, wise counsel and persuasion toward reconciliation become a ‘great service’ to one’s community. It also highlights how moral failure is rooted in inner disposition (buddhi) and habitual contemplation (pāpa-cintana).
A speaker urges Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) to counsel Duryodhana, describing him as cruel and fixed on sin, and asks Kṛṣṇa to persuade him to accept a peace settlement (sandhi). The narration then moves to Kṛṣṇa turning to address the unyielding Duryodhana.