Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 180 — Svayaṃvara-Virodha and Pāṇḍava Parākrama
Draupadī Episode
ममापि चेद् भवेदेवमी श्वरस्य सतो महत् | उपेक्षमाणस्य पुनर्लोकानां किल्बिषाद् भयम्
mama api ced bhaved evam īśvarasya sataḥ mahat | upekṣamāṇasya punar lokānāṁ kilbiṣād bhayam | śaktiṁ cāpi hi dharmajña nātikrāntum ihārhasi | prajāyāś ca mamocchedaṁ na caivaṁ kartum arhasi ||
Aurva berkata— “Bahkan aku pun—meski memiliki kekuatan—akan menanggung ketakutan akan dosa bila aku berdiam diri dengan acuh tak acuh ketika orang-orang melakukan keburukan sebesar ini. Dan engkau juga, wahai yang mengetahui dharma, jangan melampaui batas yang telah ditetapkan oleh Śakti. Tidaklah benar bagimu memusnahkan keturunanku dengan cara seperti ini.”
ऑर्व उवाच
Power does not justify indifference or excess: a capable person incurs moral fault by silently tolerating grave wrongdoing, yet even righteous anger must remain within dharmic limits and must not lead to unjust destruction of others’ progeny.
Aurva speaks to a dharma-knowing interlocutor, warning that passive disregard of widespread wrongdoing brings fear of sin, and urging him not to transgress the standard associated with Śakti nor to cause the annihilation of Aurva’s descendants.