Shloka 12

Adhyāya 20 — Rājadharma Argument for Paternal Inheritance and Timely Conciliation

Devanagari script

ते सर्व पृष्ठतः कृत्वा तत्‌ सर्व पूर्वकिल्बिषम्‌ | सामैव कुरुभि: सार्धमिच्छन्ति कुरुपुड्रवा:,'पहलेके किये हुए इन सब अत्याचारोंको भुलाकर वे कुरुश्रेष्ठ पाण्डव अब भी इन कौरवोंके साथ मेल-जोल ही रखना चाहते हैं

Transliteration

te sarve pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā tat sarva pūrvakilbiṣam | sāmā eva kurubhiḥ sārdham icchanti kurupuṅgavāḥ ||

Translation

他们把从前的一切罪愆与侵害都抛诸身后；那些如雄牛般刚健的俱卢人——般度五子——至今仍愿与俱卢族的俱卢婆保持和解与交好。

Word by Word

तेthey/those

सर्वम्all (of it)

पृष्ठतःbehind; at the back; as behind (i.e., disregarding)

कृत्वाhaving done/made (having put)

तत्that

सर्वम्all

पूर्वformer; previous

किल्बिषम्sin; wrongdoing; offense

सामाconciliation; peaceful policy

एवindeed; only

कुरुभिःwith the Kurus

सार्धम्together with

इच्छन्तिthey desire; they wish

कुरुof the Kuru (line)

पुङ्गवाःbulls; foremost ones; best

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Pāṇḍavāḥ

Kauravāḥ

Kuru

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 after suffering grave past wrongs (pūrva-kilbiṣa), the righteous may choose sāma—conciliation and restraint—prioritizing dharma and social harmony over immediate retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes the Pāṇḍavas’ stance: they are willing to overlook earlier offenses and still seek amicable relations and settlement with the Kauravas, emphasizing a continued preference for peace.