That distinction gave the Pandava side considerable diplomatic strength. Their position could be presented not as a demand for new territory, but as a request for the restoration of rights that had already been recognised within the political framework of the Kuru kingdom.
Krishna therefore entered Hastinapura carrying more than a territorial proposal. He carried the final opportunity for the Kauravas and Pandavas to resolve their conflict before political rivalry became irreversible bloodshed.
His task is therefore deeply complicated. Dhritarashtra wants him to persuade Yudhishthira to preserve peace, but the Kuru court is unwilling to make the political concession most likely to secure that peace: restoration of the Pandavas’ rightful share of the kingdom. Sanjaya must consequently defend a negotiating position whose internal contradiction he can clearly see.
