Shloka 15
Udyoga Parva 21 — Bhīṣma’s Conciliatory Counsel, Karṇa’s Rebuttal, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra Sends Sañjaya (भीष्म-कर्ण-विवादः; संजय-प्रेषणम्)
अथ ते धर्ममुत्सृज्य युद्धमिच्छन्ति पाण्डवा: । आसट्येमान् कुरुश्रेष्ठान् स्मरिष्यन्ति वचो मम
atha te dharmam utsṛjya yuddham icchanti pāṇḍavāḥ | āsatya imān kuruśreṣṭhān smariṣyanti vaco mama ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Nếu các Pāṇḍava gạt bỏ con đường dharma mà khởi lòng muốn chiến tranh, thì những bậc ưu tú nhất trong dòng Kuru này—vì đã hành xử không chân thật—ắt sẽ nhớ lại lời ta.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war seems imminent, abandoning dharma is portrayed as a grave moral turning point; falsehood and unethical conduct by leaders rebounds as regret, making them ‘remember’ the warning words when consequences unfold.
Vaiśampāyana frames a warning: if the Pāṇḍavas are pushed to desire war by setting aside dharma, then the leading Kurus—implicated in untruthful conduct—will later recall this admonition when events prove disastrous.