Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
अप्रदानेन राज्यस्य शान्तिमस्मासु मार्गति । लुब्ध: पापेन मनसा चरन्नसममात्मन:
apradānena rājyasya śāntim asmāsu mārgati | lubdhaḥ pāpena manasā carann asamam ātmanaḥ ||
یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا—بادشاہت دیے بغیر ہی وہ ہم سے صلح چاہتا ہے۔ لالچ کے زیرِ اثر اور گناہ آلودہ دل کے ساتھ، اپنی شان کے شایانِ شان نہ چلتے ہوئے وہ امن کا راستہ ڈھونڈ رہا ہے۔
युधिछिर उवाच
Peace-making is ethically hollow when it is pursued without justice. Yudhiṣṭhira criticizes a reconciliation that refuses rightful restitution (the kingdom), portraying such ‘peace’ as rooted in greed and moral corruption rather than dharma.
In the lead-up to war, Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the Kuru court’s stance: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as characterized here) seeks a treaty with the Pāṇḍavas while withholding the kingdom, revealing a negotiation strategy driven by attachment and fear rather than fair settlement.