Shloka 18

Devanagari script

शान्तिरेवं भवेद्‌ राजनू्‌ प्रीतिश्वैव परस्परम्‌ | राज्यैकदेशमपि न: प्रयच्छ शममिच्छताम्‌,“राजन! इस प्रकार हमलोगोंमें परस्पर शान्ति एवं प्रीति बनी रह सकती है। हम शान्ति चाहते हैं; भले ही तुम हमें राज्यका एक हिस्सा ही दे दो

Transliteration

śāntir evaṁ bhaved rājan prītiś caiva parasparam | rājyaikadeśam api naḥ prayaccha śamam icchatām ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Tâu Đại vương, bằng cách ấy, hòa bình có thể được bảo toàn và thiện chí đôi bên được giữ vững giữa chúng ta. Chúng ta cầu hòa; vì vậy xin hãy ban cho chúng ta dù chỉ một phần của vương quốc, để sự hòa thuận được thành.”

Word by Word

शान्तिःpeace

एवंthus, in this way

भवेत्may be, would be

राजन्O king

प्रीतिःaffection, goodwill

चand

एवindeed, just

परस्परम्mutually, with one another

राज्यof the kingdom

एकदेशम्a single part/portion

अपिeven, also

नःto us

प्रयच्छgrant, give

शमम्peace, reconciliation

इच्छताम्of (those) desiring

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

the King addressed as rājan (Duryodhana in context)

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?

Even when one has a strong claim, dharma favors restraint and reconciliation: preserving peace and mutual goodwill is worth accepting a minimal share, if it prevents destructive conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the pre-war negotiations, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the Kuru king and urges a settlement: to maintain peace and mutual affection, he asks that the Pāṇḍavas be granted at least a small portion of the kingdom rather than forcing war.