Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 28
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
दर्पाच्च सूतपुत्रो$सौ गन्धर्वानवमन्यते । त॑ंत्वं प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ हृदान्नागमिवोद्धर
darpāc ca sūtaputro 'sau gandharvān avamanyate | taṃ tvaṃ praharatāṃ śreṣṭha hṛdān nāgam ivoddhara ||
Vaishampayana said: “Blinded by pride, that son of a charioteer scorns the Gandharvas. Therefore, O best of strikers, drag him out from the lake like a serpent and cast him away from this world.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogance that belittles worthy opponents invites downfall; contempt (avamāna) clouds judgment and leads to disgrace and harm, whereas humility and discernment are protective virtues in dharmic conduct.
The narrator reports a command directed to a foremost fighter: because the ‘sūtaputra’ is proudly insulting the Gandharvas, he is to be forcibly dragged out from a lake—likened to pulling out a serpent—implying decisive defeat and expulsion (even death) as the consequence of his overconfidence.