Shloka 2
जाते दुर्योधने क्षत्ता महामतिरभाषत । नीयतां परलोकाय साध्वयं कुलपांसन:,“आर्यपुत्र! दुर्योधनके जन्म लेनेपर परम बुद्धिमान् विदुरजीने कहा था--यह बालक अपने कुलका नाश करनेवाला होगा; अतः इसे त्याग देना चाहिये
jāte duryodhane kṣattā mahāmatir abhāṣata | nīyatāṃ paralokāya sādhv ayaṃ kulapāṃsanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When Duryodhana was born, the wise Vidura, the royal chamberlain, spoke: “This one is fit to be sent to the next world; he is a defiler of the lineage.” Thus was sounded an early moral warning: a ruler’s house must weigh compassion against the duty to shield realm and family from a foreseen source of ruin.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical burden of governance: leaders must heed wise counsel and consider the long-term welfare of the community, even when the warning concerns one’s own family. It also shows how the epic frames adharma as detectable early through character and portents, demanding vigilance and responsibility.
At Duryodhana’s birth, Vidura—renowned for prudence—declares that the child will disgrace and destroy the Kuru line, and therefore should be removed (sent ‘to the next world’). This functions as an early foreshadowing of the later catastrophe driven by Duryodhana’s conduct.