Shloka 18

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Dialogue on Peace and the Refusal of Compromise

Devanagari script

यावद्धि सूच्यास्तीक्ष्णाया विध्येदग्रेण मारिष । तावदप्यपरित्याज्यं भूमेर्न: पाण्डवान्‌ प्रति,पूज्य पिताजी! तीखी सूईके अग्रभागसे जितनी भूमि बिंध सकती है, उतनी भी मैं पाण्डवोंको नहीं दे सकता

Transliteration

yāvad dhi sūcyās tīkṣṇāyā vidhyed agreṇa māriṣa | tāvad apy aparityājyaṃ bhūmer naḥ pāṇḍavān prati ||

Translation

اے بزرگِ مکرم! تیز سوئی کی نوک جتنی زمین چھید سکتی ہے، ہماری سرزمین میں سے اتنی سی بھی پانڈوؤں کے لیے چھوڑنا ممکن نہیں—میں نہیں دوں گا۔

Word by Word

यावत्as much as; so long as

हिindeed; for

सूच्याःof a needle

तीक्ष्णायाःof a sharp

विध्येत्might pierce

अग्रेणwith the tip; by the point

मारिषO venerable sir

तावत्so much; to that extent

अपिeven; also

अपरित्याज्यम्not to be given up; not to be relinquished

भूमेःof land; of the earth

नःof us; our

पाण्डवान्to/for the Pāṇḍavas

प्रतिtowards; with regard to

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Pāṇḍavas

needle (sūcī)

land/territory (bhūmi)

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?

The verse highlights how rigid attachment to power and property can override ethical compromise; Duryodhana’s refusal to yield even a needle-point of land exemplifies adharma-driven obstinacy that makes peaceful settlement impossible.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the pre-war negotiations in the Udyoga Parva, Duryodhana states unequivocally that he will not give the Pāṇḍavas any portion of land—using the needle-tip measure to stress absolute denial—thereby escalating the conflict toward the Kurukṣetra war.