“The author of the Mahabharata has not established the necessity of physical warfare; on the contrary he has proved its futility. He has made the victors shed tears of sorrow and repentance, and has left them nothing but a legacy of miseries.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi's writings/discourses on the Bhagavad Gita (Anasaktiyoga / 'The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi'), arguing the Mahabharata shows war's futility.
About this quote
Read closely, even a story of epic battle can argue against war rather than for it. When the victors end up mourning and full of regret, the point is that force settles little and leaves grief on every side — winning a fight is not the same as gaining anything worth keeping.
When to use it
- A bitter lawsuit both families technically survive but that poisons every holiday afterward.
- A price war two shops fight to a standstill, winning share while ruining both their margins.
- Siblings fighting over an inheritance until they are estranged and the money is gone to lawyers.