Shloka 2
अध्याय २६ — युद्ध-निन्दा, काम-दोष, तथा धार्तराष्ट्र-नीति-विश्लेषण
War-aversion, Desire as a Policy Fault, and Analysis of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Governance
न चेद् भागं कुरवो&चन्यत्र युद्धात् प्रयच्छेरंस्तुभ्यमजातशत्रो । भैक्षचर्यामन्धकवृष्णिराज्ये श्रेयो मन््ये न तु युद्धेन राज्यम्
na ced bhāgaṃ kuravo 'nyatra yuddhāt prayaccheras tubhyam ajātaśatro | bhaikṣacaryām andhakavṛṣṇirājye śreyo manye na tu yuddhena rājyam, ajātaśatro ||
三阇耶说道：“噢，阿阇多沙特鲁，若俱卢人除非以战争为代价，否则不肯将你应得的份额赐予你，那么我以为，你宁可在安陀迦与弗利什尼的国土中行乞度日，也胜过以厮杀夺取王国。在我看来，以战斗求得王权，并非对你更佳之道。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates śreyas (the ethically preferable good) over political gain: even humiliating survival by alms is portrayed as better than acquiring sovereignty through violence, underscoring restraint and the moral cost of war.
Sañjaya addresses Yudhiṣṭhira (Ajātaśatru), imagining the scenario where the Kurus refuse to give him his rightful share unless he fights; Sañjaya counsels that choosing a mendicant life—even among the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis—is preferable to waging war for the kingdom.