Shloka 13
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
अज्ञाप्य पृथिवीं सर्वा स्थित्वा मूर्थ्नि च संजय । कथमद्य भविष्यामि प्रेष्यभूतो दुरन्तकृत्
ājñāpya pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ sthitvā mūrdhni ca sañjaya | katham adya bhaviṣyāmi preṣyabhūto durantakṛt ||
Wahai Sañjaya! Aku yang dahulu memerintah seluruh bumi dan berdiri dengan kaki di atas kepala orang lain—setelah melakukan perbuatan yang sukar dipulihkan—bagaimana hari ini aku menjadi sekadar pesuruh?
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and domination are unstable foundations: actions done in arrogance and cruelty can swiftly invert one’s status, turning a ruler into a dependent. The verse highlights moral causality—harmful deeds create consequences that are difficult to reverse.
In the aftermath of catastrophic events, the speaker reflects on a reversal of fortune: once commanding the whole realm and humiliating others, he now foresees being forced into servitude or menial dependence, recognizing the weight of his own irreversible actions.