Shloka 4
अध्याय ८७: कृष्णस्य हस्तिनापुरप्रवेशः
Krishna’s Entry into Hastināpura and Court Reception
अवमान श्र यत्र स्यात् क्षत्रियस्य विशाम्पते | न तत् कुर्याद् बुध: कार्यमिति मे निश्चिता मति:,प्रजानाथ! जहाँ क्षत्रियका अपमान होता हो, वहाँ समझदार क्षत्रियको वैसा कार्य नहीं करना चाहिये। यह मेरा निश्चित विचार है
avamānaḥ yatra syāt kṣatriyasya viśāmpate | na tat kuryād budhaḥ kāryam iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
Duryodhana said: “O lord of the people, wherever a kṣatriya would incur humiliation, a wise kṣatriya should not undertake such a course of action. This is my settled conviction.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts an honor-based ethic: a wise kṣatriya should avoid any action that results in personal or class dishonour. It frames decision-making around preserving kṣatriya dignity, treating humiliation as a decisive moral and political boundary.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and counsel, Duryodhana articulates his stance to an addressed 'lord of the people,' insisting that he will not accept a course that entails humiliation for a kṣatriya—reflecting his rigid commitment to prestige as tensions move toward war.