Shloka 13
Nārada’s Account of the Kaliṅga Svayaṃvara: Duryodhana’s Seizure and Karṇa’s Escort
स वीर्यमदमत्तत्वाद् भीष्मद्रोणावुपाश्रित: । रथमारोप्य तां कन्यामाजहार नराधिप:
sa vīrya-mada-mattatvād bhīṣma-droṇāv upāśritaḥ | ratham āropya tāṃ kanyām ājahāra narādhipaḥ ||
Nārada said: Intoxicated by the pride of his own prowess, and relying on Bhīṣma and Droṇa for support, that king seized the maiden—placing her upon his chariot—and carried her off. The episode underscores how power, when joined with arrogance and the backing of formidable elders, can drive a ruler into adharma through the violation of another’s autonomy.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that pride in strength (vīrya-mada) can intoxicate a ruler into committing adharma—here, the coercive seizure of a maiden—especially when he feels emboldened by powerful protectors. Ethical kingship requires restraint and respect for others’ agency, not merely reliance on might or influential allies.
Nārada narrates that a king, made arrogant by his power and supported by Bhīṣma and Droṇa, abducts a princess by placing her on his chariot and taking her away. The focus is on the act of abduction and the moral failure driven by arrogance and perceived impunity.