Shloka 28
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
दर्पाच्च सूतपुत्रो$सौ गन्धर्वानवमन्यते । त॑ंत्वं प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ हृदान्नागमिवोद्धर,“प्रहार करनेवालोंमें श्रेष्ठ वीर! वह सूतपुत्र अपनी वीरताके घमंडमें आकर गन्धर्वोंकी अवहेलना करता है; अतः: जलाशयसे सर्पकी भाँति उसे तुम इस जगत्से निकाल फेंकी
darpāc ca sūtaputro 'sau gandharvān avamanyate | taṃ tvaṃ praharatāṃ śreṣṭha hṛdān nāgam ivoddhara ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Vom Stolz verblendet verachtet jener Sohn des Wagenlenkers die Gandharvas. Darum, o Bester der Schlagenden, zerr ihn aus dem See wie eine Schlange und wirf ihn aus dieser Welt.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogance that belittles worthy opponents invites downfall; contempt (avamāna) clouds judgment and leads to disgrace and harm, whereas humility and discernment are protective virtues in dharmic conduct.
The narrator reports a command directed to a foremost fighter: because the ‘sūtaputra’ is proudly insulting the Gandharvas, he is to be forcibly dragged out from a lake—likened to pulling out a serpent—implying decisive defeat and expulsion (even death) as the consequence of his overconfidence.