Shloka 30
राजसूयविचारः — Deliberation on the Rajasuya and the Summoning of Kṛṣṇa
युद्ध च क्षत्रशमनं पृथिवीक्षयकारणम् | किंचिदेव निमित्तं च भवत्यत्र क्षयावहम्
yuddhaṃ ca kṣatra-śamanaṃ pṛthivī-kṣaya-kāraṇam | kiñcid eva nimittaṃ ca bhavaty atra kṣayāvaham |
Nārada berkata: “Perang membawa pemusnahan golongan kṣatriya dan menjadi sebab susutnya bumi. Dalam keadaan demikian, bahkan dalih yang amat kecil pun dapat muncul—dan terbukti membawa kebinasaan; darinya perang dahsyat menjelma di bumi, menimbulkan pembantaian kṣatriya serta kehancuran yang meluas.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
War is intrinsically ruinous: it destroys the kṣatriya order and harms the earth itself. Therefore even minor provocations (nimitta) can become catastrophic when the conditions for conflict are present, warning rulers to restrain escalation and guard against small triggers.
Nārada is speaking in the Sabha Parva context, reflecting on the nature and consequences of war. He emphasizes how easily a destructive conflict can arise from a small pretext and how such war leads to mass kṣatriya slaughter and widespread devastation.