Shloka 2
Udyoga Parva 142: Vidura’s warning to Kuntī and Kuntī’s resolve to meet Karṇa
Gaṅgātīra encounter begins
जानन् मां कि महाबाहो सम्मोहयितुमिच्छसि । यो<यं पृथिव्या: कार्त्स्न्येन विनाश: समुपस्थित:,“महाबाहो! आप सब कुछ जानते हुए भी मुझे मोहमें क्यों डालना चाहते हैं? यह जो इस भूतलका पूर्णरूपसे विनाश उपस्थित हुआ है, उसमें मैं, शकुनि, दुःशासन तथा धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र राजा दुर्योधन निमित्तमात्र हुए हैं
sañjaya uvāca | jānan māṃ ki mahābāho sammohayitum icchasi | yo 'yaṃ pṛthivyāḥ kārtsnyena vināśaḥ samupasthitaḥ |
„O du Mächtigarmiger, da du doch alles weißt — warum willst du mich verwirren? Diese Vernichtung, die nun heraufgezogen ist und die ganze Erde umspannt, steht unmittelbar bevor.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between knowledge and manipulation: even when the truth is known, attempts to induce moha (bewilderment) can distort judgment. It also frames the coming catastrophe as a totalizing social collapse, inviting reflection on responsibility amid seemingly inevitable destruction.
Sanjaya addresses a powerful interlocutor (“mahābāho”), questioning why he is being drawn into confusion despite the other’s full knowledge. He points to the imminent, all-encompassing ruin that has arisen over the earth, setting a grave tone for the unfolding conflict.