Shloka 2
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 126 — Kṛṣṇa’s Indictment of Misrule and the Varuṇa Analogy (कृष्णवाक्यं–धर्मपाशदृष्टान्तः)
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! कौरवसभामें यह अप्रिय वचन सुनकर दुर्योधनने यशस्वी महाबाहु वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्णको इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया-- ।।
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—Janamejaya! Kauravasabhāyāṃ tad apriyaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā Duryodhanaḥ yaśasvinaṃ mahābāhuṃ Vasudevanandanaṃ Śrīkṛṣṇaṃ praty evaṃ pratyuvāca— “prasamyak kṣya bhavān etad vaktum arhati Keśava; mām eva hi viśeṣeṇa vibhāṣya parigarhase.”
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Janamejaya, when that unwelcome speech was heard in the Kaurava court, Duryodhana replied to the illustrious, mighty-armed Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, in this manner: ‘Keśava, you ought to speak such words only after careful reflection. For you are singling me out in particular—speaking about me so as to censure and condemn me.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical speech and accountability: counsel should be given with deliberation, yet the one at fault often experiences truthful admonition as ‘blame.’ Duryodhana’s reaction shows how pride resists moral critique by reframing it as personal attack.
In the Kaurava court, after Kṛṣṇa has spoken words that Duryodhana finds unpleasant, Duryodhana responds defensively, telling Kṛṣṇa to speak only after proper consideration and accusing him of targeting Duryodhana specifically with reproach.