Shloka 27
Adhyaya 60: Self-Assertion, Daiva, and the Rhetoric of Inevitability (उद्योग पर्व)
परा बुद्धि: परं तेजो वीर्य च परमं मम । परा विद्या पते योगो मम तेभ्यो विशिष्यते
parā buddhiḥ paraṃ tejo vīryaṃ ca paramaṃ mama | parā vidyā pate yogo mama tebhyo viśiṣyate ||
বৈশম্পায়ন বললেন— আমার বুদ্ধি শ্রেষ্ঠ, আমার তেজ পরম, আর আমার বীর্য সর্বাগ্রে। আমার বিদ্যা উচ্চতর, আমার উদ্যোগ-সংকল্প অতুল; এই সব বিষয়ে আমি তাদের চেয়ে শ্রেষ্ঠ।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how self-evaluation based on intellect, splendor, valor, learning, and effort can become a form of pride. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical lens, such pride often clouds discernment and pushes one toward adharma, whereas true excellence is meant to be guided by humility, restraint, and righteous purpose.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and rising tensions, a speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) asserts personal superiority over the opposing side (the Pāṇḍavas), listing qualities like intellect, radiance, valor, learning, and determined effort as grounds for dominance—reflecting the hardening stance that drives the conflict toward war.