Shloka 8
Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris
Udyoga-parva 94
त्वं हि धारयिता श्रेष्ठ: कुरूणां कुरुसत्तम | मिथ्या प्रचरतां तात बाहोष्वाभ्यन्तरेषु च
tvaṁ hi dhārayitā śreṣṭhaḥ kurūṇāṁ kurusattama | mithyā pracaratāṁ tāta bāhoṣv ābhyantareṣu ca ||
„Denn du bist der vornehmste Wahrer der Kurus, o Bester des Kuru-Geschlechts. Lieber, wenn die Kauravas beginnen, falsch zu handeln—offen und auch im Verborgenen, äußerlich und innerlich—bist du es, der sie zügeln und wieder auf den rechten Pfad stellen muss.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral authority carries the duty of restraint: the foremost elder or leader must check wrongdoing not only in public acts but also in hidden, inward schemes, and restore the community to dharma.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events of the Udyoga Parva, describes an address to a Kuru-elder/leader, emphasizing that when the Kauravas drift into false conduct—openly or secretly—this person is expected to curb them and re-establish righteous conduct.