Shloka 67
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५४: दुर्योधनस्य धृतराष्ट्रं प्रति बलप्रशंसन-युक्तः आश्वासनवादः
Duryodhana’s Reassurance and Force-Praise to Dhritarashtra
गुणहीन परेषां च बहु पश्यामि भारत । गुणोदयं बहुगुणमात्मनश्न विशाम्पते,भारत! प्रजानाथ! मैं देख रहा हूँ कि शत्रुओंका बल हमारी अपेक्षा अनेक प्रकारसे गुणहीन (न्यूनतम) है, परंतु मेरा अपना बल सब प्रकारसे बहुत अधिक एवं गुणशाली है
guṇahīna-pareṣāṁ ca bahu paśyāmi bhārata | guṇodayaṁ bahuguṇam ātmanaś ca viśāmpate ||
Duryodhana said: “O Bhārata, I clearly see that the strength of our opponents is, in many respects, deficient in excellence; whereas my own power is abundant, rising with many advantages and qualities, O lord of the people.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and self-assurance can distort ethical judgment: Duryodhana measures worth in terms of perceived power and ‘qualities,’ using this to justify confidence in conflict rather than reflecting on dharma or the moral consequences of war.
In the Udyoga Parva, as war preparations intensify, Duryodhana speaks with confidence, asserting that the opposing side is inferior in merit and strength while claiming his own side (and himself) is richly endowed—an expression of his resolve and arrogance on the eve of confrontation.