Shloka 43
कण्वोपदेशः—नश्वरबलविवेकः तथा मातलिगुणकेश्याः आख्यानारम्भः
Kaṇva’s Counsel on Impermanent Power; Opening of the Mātali–Guṇakeśī Narrative
एतैरविंद्धा: सर्व एव मरणं यान्ति मानवा: । कामक्रोधौ लोभमोहौ मदमानौ तथैव च
etair avinddhāḥ sarva eva maraṇaṁ yānti mānavāḥ | kāmakrodhau lobhamohau madamānau tathaiva ca ||
Rāma said: “All human beings, when pierced and overpowered by these (inner foes), inevitably go to death. Desire and anger, greed and delusion, and likewise intoxication and pride—these are the forces that drive one toward ruin.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked inner vices—desire, anger, greed, delusion, intoxication/arrogance, and pride—act like weapons that wound the mind and lead a person toward ruin; therefore self-restraint and clarity are essential for dharma.
In this passage, the speaker identified as Rāma delivers a moral warning within the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-oriented setting, emphasizing that human downfall is caused less by external enemies and more by these internal passions.