Shloka 18
Draupadī’s Lament and the Question of Kṣatriya Forbearance (द्रौपद्याः शोकप्रलापः क्षमानिर्णयश्च)
मित्र: सह विरोध॑ च प्राप्तुते तेजसा55वृतः । आप्रोति द्वेष्पतां चैव लोकात् स्वजनतस्तथा,तेज (उत्तेजना)-से व्याप्त मनुष्य मित्रोंसे विरोध पैदा कर लेता है तथा साधारण लोगों और स्वजनोंका द्वेषपात्र बन जाता है
mitraḥ saha virodhaṃ ca prāpnoti tejasāvṛtaḥ | āpnoti dveṣyatāṃ caiva lokāt svajanatas tathā ||
One who is veiled by the heat of arrogance and overbearing energy ends up falling into conflict even with friends. Such a person also becomes an object of dislike—both among ordinary people and among one’s own kin—because unchecked intensity turns relationships into rivalry and alienates one from one’s community.
प्रह्माद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Uncontrolled tejas—power, brilliance, or intensity when mixed with pride—destroys harmony: it breeds quarrels even with friends and makes one disliked by society and one’s own relatives. The ethical lesson is to temper strength with humility and restraint.
Prahlāda states a general moral observation: a person overtaken by overbearing energy and pride tends to provoke opposition and becomes hated, not only by outsiders but also by their own circle, showing how inner disposition shapes social outcomes.