Shloka 30
राजसूयविचारः — Deliberation on the Rajasuya and the Summoning of Kṛṣṇa
युद्ध च क्षत्रशमनं पृथिवीक्षयकारणम् | किंचिदेव निमित्तं च भवत्यत्र क्षयावहम्
yuddhaṃ ca kṣatra-śamanaṃ pṛthivī-kṣaya-kāraṇam | kiñcid eva nimittaṃ ca bhavaty atra kṣayāvaham |
Nārada said: “War brings the destruction of the warrior order and becomes a cause of the wasting away of the earth. In such a situation, even a very small pretext can arise—one that proves ruinous—and from it a devastating war manifests upon the earth, leading to the slaughter of kṣatriyas and widespread devastation.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
War is intrinsically ruinous: it destroys the kṣatriya order and harms the earth itself. Therefore even minor provocations (nimitta) can become catastrophic when the conditions for conflict are present, warning rulers to restrain escalation and guard against small triggers.
Nārada is speaking in the Sabha Parva context, reflecting on the nature and consequences of war. He emphasizes how easily a destructive conflict can arise from a small pretext and how such war leads to mass kṣatriya slaughter and widespread devastation.