Shloka 62
Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris
Udyoga-parva 94
लोभे5तिप्रसृतान् पुत्रान् निगृह्लीष्व विशाम्पते । स्थिता: शुश्रूषितुं पार्था: स्थिता योद्धुमरिंदमा: । यत् ते पथ्यतमं राजंस्तस्मिंस्तिष्ठ परंतप
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
lobhe'tiprasṛtān putrān nigṛhlīṣva viśāmpate |
sthitāḥ śuśrūṣituṃ pārthāḥ sthitā yoddhum ariṃdamāḥ |
yat te pathyatamaṃ rājan tasmiṃs tiṣṭha paraṃtapa ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O lord of the people, restrain your sons who have run far into greed. The Pārthas, Kuntī’s sons, stand ready—ready to serve you and ready to fight, O subduer of foes. O king, scorcher of enemies, choose and stand by the course that is most wholesome and truly beneficial for you.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must curb greed—especially within his own family—and choose the most salutary course (pathyatama), prioritizing welfare and dharma over attachment and avarice, even when war is possible.
In the tense pre-war counsel of Udyoga Parva, the speaker urges the king to restrain his greed-driven sons; the Pāṇḍavas are portrayed as disciplined and ready either to serve under rightful settlement or to fight if justice is denied.