Shloka 643

Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)

Devanagari script

चक्षुषा क्रोधदीप्तेन निर्दग्धुं तपसो बलात्‌ | 'पाण्डवोंके विनाशका विचार तुम्हारे मनमें कभी नहीं आना चाहिये। महाभागे! तुम अपनी तपस्याके बलसे क्रोधभरी दृष्टिद्वारा चराचर प्राणियोंसहित समूची पृथ्वीको भस्म कर डालनेकी शक्ति रखती हो”

Transliteration

cakṣuṣā krodha-dīptena nirdagdhuṃ tapaso balāt | pāṇḍavānāṃ vināśasya vicāro tava mānase kadācana na āgantavyaḥ | mahābhāge! tvaṃ tapasāṃ balena krodha-bharitayā dṛśā carācaraiḥ prāṇibhiḥ saha samūcīṃ pṛthivīṃ bhasma-kartuṃ śaktāsi ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “With eyes blazing in anger, you have the power—by the strength of your austerities—to burn everything to ashes. Therefore, O greatly fortunate lady, the thought of destroying the Pāṇḍavas should never arise in your mind. By the force of your penance, your wrathful glance could reduce the entire earth, together with all moving and unmoving beings, to ash.”

Word by Word

चक्षुषाwith (your) eye/gaze

क्रोधदीप्तेनblazing with anger

निर्दग्धुम्to burn up, to consume by fire

तपसःfrom/through (the power arising from) austerity

बलात्by force; by the strength (thereof)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Pṛthivī (Earth)

carācara prāṇins (all beings, moving and unmoving)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Extraordinary spiritual power (tapas) must be governed by dharma: even if one can destroy the world in anger, one should restrain destructive intent—especially against the righteous (here, the Pāṇḍavas).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes (and cautions) a highly powerful woman ascetic: her anger-fueled glance, backed by austerity, could annihilate the earth, so she must not entertain the thought of destroying the Pāṇḍavas.