Shloka 10
अहीनाशीविषान् क्रुद्धानूु नाशाय समुपस्थितान् | कृत्वा कण्ठे च पूछे च कः समुत्स्रष्टमर्हति,क्रोधमें भरकर काटनेके लिये उद्यत हुए विषधर सर्पोंको अपने गलेमें लटकाकर अथवा पीठपर चढ़ाकर कौन मनुष्य उन्हें उसी अवस्थामें छोड़ सकता है?
ahīnāśīviṣān kruddhān nāśāya samupasthitān | kṛtvā kaṇṭhe ca pṛṣṭhe ca kaḥ samutsraṣṭum arhati ||
Duryodhana said: “Who, after placing around his own neck or upon his back venomous serpents—enraged and poised to strike for one’s destruction—could possibly let them remain there in that very state?”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid metaphor to justify preemptive caution: when a threat is perceived as immediate and lethal, one should not complacently ‘carry’ it. Ethically, it illustrates how fear and hostility can be framed as prudence, often to rationalize harsh action against rivals.
In the Sabha Parva’s political tensions, Duryodhana argues that dangerous enemies should not be tolerated in a position of proximity or advantage. He compares such rivals to enraged venomous snakes placed on one’s own neck or back—implying they must be removed before they strike.