1 Ādi (225) 2 Sabhā (72) 3 Āranyaka (299) 4 Virāta (67) 5 Udyoga Parva - 197 chapters 6 Bhīshma (117) 7 Drona (173) 8 Karna (69) 9 Shālya (64) War or Peace: Choice or Destiny? 10 Sauptika (18) 11 Strī (27) 12 Shānti (353) 13 Anushāsana (154) 14 Ashvamedhika (96) 15 Āshramavāsika (47) 16 Mausala (9) 17 Mahāprasthānika (3) 18 Svargārohana (5) Udyoga Parva Chapter 70-77 Swami Tadatmananda Arsha Bodha Center य ध र उव च Yudhishthira hthi said, yudhiṣṭhira uvāca त त ध तर य OKi Krishna, you have heard what tdhritarashtra ht śrutaṁ te dhṛtarāṣṭrasya सप य चक ष तम and dhis son intend dto do. saputrasya cikīrṣitam एत सकल क ण O Krishna, all of this is etad dhi sakalaṁ kṛṣṇa स य म यद व त as Sanjaya told me. sañjayo māṁ yad abravīt (70.6) अ द न न र य य Without t returning the kingdom, apradānena rājyasya श तम स म ग त he seeks peace with us. śāntim asmāsu mārgati ल ध प प न मनस Being greedy, with a sinful mind, lubdhaḥ pāpena manasā चर समम न he acts unfairly towards us. carann asamam ātmanaḥ (70.8)
व र ज ध तर The old king Dhritarashtra ht vṛddho rājā dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ वधम न न प य त does not understand d his duty. svadharmaṁ nānupaśyati प य व प ग व न Or if he does understand, due to attachment to his son paśyan vā putra-gṛddhitvān म द य व त श सनम his leadership is weak. mandasyānveti śāsanam (70.11) त न थम क प OKi Krishna, our main intention ti tatra naḥ prathamaḥ kalpo य य त च म धव is that t the Kauravas and us yad vayaṁ te ca mādhava श त समभ त should be at peace, treated fairly, praśāntāḥ sama-bhūtāś ca य त न व म ह and enjoy the kingdom's wealth. śriyaṁ tān aśnuvīmahi (70.42) प न त त द य त Unto us should be given five pañca nas tāta dīyantāṁ म व नगर ण व villages or towns. grāmā vā nagarāṇi vā न च त न प द But the evil-minded na ca tān api duṣṭātmā ध त र ऽन म यत Duryodhana did not agree to give them. dhārtarāṣṭro 'numanyate (70.16,17) त ष परम क It would be the greatest t tatraiṣā paramā kāṣṭhā र कम य दय of all destructive, ti terrible deeds d raudra-karma-kṣayodayā य य क रव ह व if we were to kill the Kauravas yad vayaṁ kauravān hatvā त न र यश म ह and enjoy the kingdom. tāni rāṣṭrāṇy aśīmahi (70.43)
सव थ व जन य In all ways, war is sinful. sarvathā vṛjinaṁ yuddhaṁ क तह यत Who can kill without t being killed? ko ghnan na pratihanyate हत य च ष क श And, O Krishna, for one who has been killed, hatasya ca hṛṣīkeśa सम जयपर जय victory and defeat are the same. samau jaya-parājayau (70.53) भगव न व च The Blessed Lord said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca त क म यस क ण OKi Krishna, what tdo you think tatra kiṁ manyase kṛṣṇa क लमन तरम on this occasion? prāpta-kālam anantaram कथमथ धम From welfare and righteousness, how katham arthāc ca dharmāc ca न ह य म ह म धव can we avoid straying, O Krishna? na hīyemahi mādhava (70.76) उभय र व व मथ For the sake of you and the Kauravas, ubhayor eva vām arthe य य म क स सदम I ill t th f th K I will go to the camp of the Kaurvavas. yāsyāmi kuru-saṁsadam (70.79)
शम त लभ य च द Then, if I succeed in bringing i peace śamaṁ tatra labheyaṁ ced य दथ मह पयन without t sacrificing i your welfare, yuṣmad-artham ahāpayan प य म स मह ज श O Yudhishthira, for me it will be a great, holy deed puṇyaṁ me sumahad rājaṁś च रत य ह फलम producing great benefits. caritaṁ syān mahā-phalam (70.80) भ मस न उव च Bhima said, bhīmasena uvāca न ज त गमन त Going there can never na jātu gamanaṁ tatra भव प थ नरथ कम be useless, O Yudhishthira. hthi bhavet pārtha nirarthakam अथ कद च य द Perhaps it will be successful, artha-prāptiḥ kadācit syād अ तत व यव यत or at least we will be blameless (for having tried). antato vāpy avācyatā (70.88) यथ यथ व श त य त The way to peace yathā yathaiva śāntiḥ syāt क ण मध स दन with the Kauravas, OKi Krishna, kurūṇāṁ madhusūdana तथ तथ व भ ष थ tell them that. tathā tathaiva bhāṣethā म य न भ षय Do not make them fear war. mā sma yuddhena bhīṣayeḥ (72.1)
भगव न व च The Blessed Lord said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca स एव ह त भ व ह That which h is the cause sa eva hetur bhūtvā hi प ष य थ स ष for accomplishing goals, puruṣasyārtha-siddhiṣu वन श ऽ प स एव य can also cause one's destruction. vināśe 'pi sa evāsya स द ध कम प षम (The results of) human effort is uncertain. saṁdigdhaṁ karma pauruṣam (75.6) ज स त ह धम य Those who examine dharma jijñāsanto hi dharmasya स द ध य व क दर which h is uncertain, O Bhima, saṁdigdhasya vṛkodara पय य न यव य त cannot arrive at a conclusion about paryāyaṁ na vyavasyanti द वम न षय ज न what is due to daiva and what is due to effort. daiva-mānuṣayor janāḥ (75.5) अ यथ प र न Situations ti understood d in one way anyathā paridṛṣṭāni क व भद षद श भ by wise ones who understand d problems, kavibhir doṣa-darśibhiḥ अ यथ प रवत त can turn out differently anyathā parivartante व ग इव नभ वत like the changing force of the wind. vegā iva nabhasvataḥ (75.7)
स म त स न त च Even if well-advised, d well-executed, sumantritaṁ sunītaṁ ca य यत पप दतम and supported by reason -- nyāyataś copapāditam क त म न यक कम deeds done by people kṛtaṁ mānuṣyakaṁ karma द व न प व यत can be opposed by daiva. daivenāpi virudhyate (75.8) यद य भ व य Also, other things done yad anyad diṣṭa-bhāvasya प ष य वय तम by a person subject to daiva puruṣasya svayaṅ-kṛtam त दनवर ध can be unopposed by that daiva. tasmād anavarodhaś ca व त त ल णम This is the nature (of daiva and effort). vidyate tatra lakṣaṇam (75.10) द वम यक त कम But what is due to daiva, not effort, daivam apy akṛtaṁ karma प ष ण वह यत can be counteracted t by effort, pauruṣeṇa vihanyate श तम ण तथ वष like cold and heat, rain, śītam uṣṇaṁ tathā varṣaṁ पप स च भ रत hunger and thirst, O Bhima. kṣut-pipāse ca bhārata (75.9) ल क य न यत व In the world, there is no other way lokasya nānyato vṛttiḥ प डव य कम ण except action, O Bhima. pāṇḍavānyatra karmaṇaḥ एव ब वत त With this understanding, one should act evam-buddhiḥ pravarteta फल य द भय वय त and receive results due to both (daiva and effort). phalaṁ syād ubhayānvayāt (75.11)
य एव क तब सन One with such wisdom ya evaṁ kṛta-buddhiḥ san कम व व वत त who engages in action karmasv eva pravartate न स यथत त य will not be disturbed by failure nāsiddhau vyathate tasya न स हष म त or elated by success. na siddhau harṣam aśnute (75.12) शम च क र य त If they agree to peace, śamaṁ cet te kariṣyanti तत ऽन त यश मम then great glory will be mine. tato 'nantaṁ yaśo mama भवत च क त क मस Your desire will be fulfilled bhavatāṁ ca kṛtaḥ kāmas त ष च य उ मम and the greatest good will come to them. teṣāṁ ca śreya uttamam (75.16) भ त ध तर य Tomorrow, to Dhritarashtra's ht śvobhūte dhṛtarāṣṭrasya सम प य प डव palace I will go, O Bhima, samīpaṁ prāpya pāṇḍava य त य शम कत and strive for peace yatiṣye praśamaṁ kartuṁ य दथ मह पयन without sacrificing your welfare. yuṣmad-artham ahāpayan (75.15) त च द भ नव य त But if they are stubborn te ced abhinivekṣyanti न य प य त म वच and ddo not agree to my proposal, nābhyupaiṣyanti me vacaḥ क रव य म व the Kauravas will then kuravo yuddham evātra र कम भ व य त engage in a frightful war. raudraṁ karma bhaviṣyati (75.17)
अज न उव च Aj Arjuna said, arjuna uvāca अफल म यस च प You consider to be ineffective aphalaṁ manyase cāpi प ष य पर मम the efforts of a person, puruṣasya parākramam न च तर ण कम ण but also without efforts, na cāntareṇa karmāṇi प ष ण फल दय nothing is accomplished. pauruṣeṇa phalodayaḥ (76.3) तव व त म व Having listened to your statements, t t tava vākyaṁ tu me śrutvā तभ त पर तप OKi Krishna, it seems pratibhāti parantapa न व शमम व that peace cannot be gained naiva praśamam atra tvaṁ म यस स कर भ easily in your opinion. manyase sukaraṁ prabho (76.1,2) भगव न व च The Blessed Lord said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca
एवम त ह ब ह O Aj Arjuna, thus it is evam etan mahābāho यथ वद स प डव as you say. yathā vadasi pāṇḍava (77.1) त व प ष य र They say that t efforts tatra vai pauruṣaṁ brūyur अ स क य क रतम can made to irrigate i the field. āsekaṁ yatna-kāritam त च प व प य त But even then, it is seen that tatra cāpi dhruvaṁ paśyet श षण द वक रतम the field can dry up -- due to daiva. shoṣaṇaṁ daiva-kāritam (77.3) ह रसव A fertile, clean field kṣetraṁ hi rasavac chuddhaṁ कष क ण पप दतम can be prepared by a farmer, karṣakeṇopapāditam ऋत वष न क त य but without rain, O Arjuna, ṛte varṣaṁ na kaunteya ज त नव त य फलम it will never produce crops. jātu nirvartayet phalam (77.2) त दद न त ब This has been clearly l understood d tad idaṁ niścitaṁ buddhyā प व र प मह भ by the great souls who lived before: pūrvair api mahātmabhiḥ द व च म न ष च व Both daiva and effort daive ca mānuṣe caiva स य ल कक रणम together are the cause for what happens in the world. saṁyuktaṁ loka-kāraṇam (77.4)
अह ह त क र य म I will indeed d do ahaṁ hi tat kariṣyāmi पर प षक रत the utmost t that t can be done through h effort. paraṁ puruṣa-kārataḥ द व त न मय श But as for daiva, I cannot daivaṁ tu na mayā śakyaṁ कम कत कथ न do anything. karma kartuṁ kathañcana (77.5) य व च मय श Whatever I can do through h word yat tu vācā mayā śakyaṁ कम ण च प प डव or deed, d OAj Arjuna, karmaṇā cāpi pāṇḍava क र य तदह प थ that I will do. But, O Arjuna, kariṣye tad ahaṁ pārtha न व श स शम पर I do not expect peace with the Kauravas. na tvāśaṁse śamaṁ paraiḥ (77.18)