Shloka 20

अध्याय १२२ — कृष्णस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛṣṇa’s Ethical Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

श्रोतव्यं हितकामानां सुहृदां हितमिच्छताम्‌ । न कर्तव्यों हि निर्बन्धो निर्बन्धो हि क्षयोदय:,अतः तुम्हें तुम्हारे हितकी इच्छा रखनेवाले सुहृदोंकी बात अवश्य सुननी और माननी चाहिये। दुराग्रह कभी नहीं करना चाहिये, क्योंकि वह विनाशके पथपर ले जानेवाला है

Transliteration

śrotavyaṃ hitakāmānāṃ suhṛdāṃ hitam icchatām | na kartavyo hi nirbandho nirbandho hi kṣayodayaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Man soll auf die wohlwollenden Freunde hören, die unser Bestes wollen. Starrsinniges Beharren darf niemals gepflegt werden; denn solche Verbohrtheit wird zur Quelle von Verderben und zerstörerischen Folgen.“

Word by Word

श्रोतव्यम्should be listened to

हितकामानाम्of those desiring (your) welfare

सुहृदाम्of friends / well-wishers

हितम्welfare, benefit

इच्छताम्of those wishing

नnot

कर्तव्यःshould be done

हिindeed, for

निर्बन्धःobstinate insistence, dogged insistence

निर्बन्धःobstinate insistence

हिindeed, for

क्षयोदयःdestruction and rise (i.e., ruinous consequence / leading to loss and upheaval)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Accept counsel from genuine well-wishers and avoid stubborn insistence; obstinacy clouds judgment and becomes a direct cause of ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada delivers moral-political counsel, urging the listener to heed friendly advice and warning that rigid obstinacy leads toward destruction—an admonition suited to the tense pre-war deliberations of the Udyoga Parva.