Shloka 22
Kṣānti–Tejas Viveka: Prahlāda’s Instruction to Bali
Draupadī’s Application
क्रोधस्त्वपण्डितै: शश्वत् तेज इत्यभिनिश्चितम् । रजस्तु लोकनाशाय विहितं मानुषं प्रति,मूर्खलोग क्रोधको ही सदा तेज मानते हैं। परन्तु रजोगुणजनित क्रोधका यदि मनुष्योंके प्रति प्रयोग हो तो वह लोगोंके नाशका कारण होता है
krodhas tv apaṇḍitaiḥ śaśvat teja ity abhiniścitam | rajas tu lokanāśāya vihitaṃ mānuṣaṃ prati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Orang yang tidak bijak senantiasa menyimpulkan bahwa amarah itulah ‘daya’ dan ‘kemilau’. Namun dorongan yang lahir dari rajas itu, bila diarahkan kepada sesama manusia, ditetapkan menjadi sebab kebinasaan banyak orang.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Anger is often mistaken for strength by the foolish, but when driven by rajas and aimed at people it becomes socially destructive; true power is restraint aligned with dharma.
In a reflective, instructive exchange in the Vana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a moral judgment about anger—distinguishing genuine tejas from rajasic wrath that leads to the ruin of others.