Shloka 25
Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)
तेडपि सर्वे महेष्वासा अयुद्धार्थिनि कौरवे । निर्बन्ध॑ं परमं चक्रुस्तदा वै युद्धकाड्क्षिण:,कुरुराज दुर्योधन युद्ध नहीं चाहता था तो भी युद्धकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले वे सभी महाधनुर्धर योद्धा उससे युद्ध छेड़नेके लिये बड़ा आग्रह कर रहे थे
te 'pi sarve maheṣvāsā ayuddhārthini kaurave | nirbandhaṁ paramaṁ cakrus tadā vai yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya nói: Dẫu vị vua Kaurava không muốn giao chiến, những đại cung thủ ấy—vốn khát khao chiến trận—vẫn thúc ép ông bằng sự nài nỉ mạnh mẽ nhất, đòi khơi mào cuộc chiến.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores an ethical danger in governance: even if a ruler hesitates, the warlike desires of influential followers can compel escalation. Responsibility for conflict is thus shared—pressure from advisors and warriors can become a decisive moral force.
Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava great archers, eager for battle, strongly urged Duryodhana to initiate or continue war, despite his lack of desire for fighting at that moment.