Shloka 32
Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris
Udyoga-parva 94
समवेता: पृथिव्यां हि राजानो राजसत्तम । अमर्षवशमापतन्ना नाशयेयुरिमा: प्रजा:,नृपश्रेष्ठी भूमण्डलके समस्त राजा यहाँ एकत्र हो अमर्षमें भरकर इन प्रजाओंका नाश करेंगे
samavetāḥ pṛthivyāṃ hi rājāno rājasattama | amarṣavaśam āpatan nā nāśayeyur imāḥ prajāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O best of kings, the rulers of the earth have assembled. If they fall under the sway of indignation, they may well destroy these subjects.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that when rulers are driven by amarṣa (injured pride/anger), their power can turn destructive, harming the very prajāḥ they are meant to protect—an implicit lesson in rājadharma: self-control is essential to just governance.
Vaiśampāyana describes a tense political moment: many kings have gathered, and the atmosphere is volatile. He cautions that if their collective indignation takes over, it could lead to actions that devastate the populace.