Shloka 11
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
कुरुनन्दन! बलवानोंके बीचमें सैनेकबलको बल नहीं समझा जाता है। समस्त पाण्डव देवताओंके समान पराक्रमी हैं; अतः वे ही तुम्हारी अपेक्षा बलवान हैं ।। अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । माललेदातुकामस्य कनन््यां मृगयतो वरम्
kurunandana! balavānāṁ madhye sainikabalaṁ balaṁ na manyate. samastāḥ pāṇḍavā devatāsama-parākramāḥ; ataḥ te eva tava apekṣayā balavattārāḥ. atrāpy udāharanti imam itihāsaṁ purātanam—mālaleda-dātukāmasya kanyāṁ mṛgayato varam.
クル族の喜びよ、真に剛強な者たちの中では、軍勢の数の力は力とは見なされぬ。パーンダヴァは皆、神々にも等しい武勇を備える。ゆえに彼らこそ、まことに汝より強い。さらにこの件に関連して、長老たちは古き先例を引く――狩りの最中、贈り物として一人の乙女を得ようとした男の物語である。
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
True strength is not merely the size of an army; real power lies in superior valor, capability, and moral-spiritual stature. Kaṇva warns that the Pāṇḍavas, being godlike in prowess, outweigh mere numerical advantage.
Kaṇva addresses a Kuru prince and argues against overconfidence in troop numbers. To reinforce his counsel, he introduces an old illustrative tale (itihāsa) about a hunter who sought a maiden as a gift, setting up a moral example to follow.