Shloka 69
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
स वै विवदनाद् भीत: सुधन्वानं विलोकयन् । त॑ सुधन्वाब्रवीत् क्रुद्धो ब्रह्म॒दण्ड इव ज्वलन्,प्रह्नाद उस विवादसे भयभीत हो सुधन््वाकी ओर देखने लगे, तब सुधन्वाने प्रज्वलित ब्रह्मदण्डके समान कुपित होकर कहा--
sa vai vivadanād bhītaḥ sudhanvānaṃ vilokayan | taṃ sudhanvābravīt kruddho brahmadaṇḍa iva jvalan ||
Frightened by the dispute, Prahlāda kept looking toward Sudhanvan. Then Sudhanvan, inflamed with anger like the blazing rod of Brahmā’s punishment, spoke out—
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how conflict and fear can precipitate harsh, punitive speech; it implicitly warns that anger, even when framed as justice, must be governed by dharma and restraint.
Prahlāda, alarmed by an ongoing dispute, looks to Sudhanvā for response. Sudhanvā, burning with anger and likened to Brahmā’s punitive rod, begins to speak—signaling an escalation in the confrontation.