Shloka 17
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
महत्यनर्थे निर्बन्धी बलवांक्षु विशेषतः
mahatyanarthe nirbandhī balavāṁkṣu viśeṣataḥ
ಅವನು ಮಹಾ ಅನರ್ಥದತ್ತ ಹಠದಿಂದ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾನೆ—ದೃಢಸಂಕಲ್ಪಿ, ಬಲಿಷ್ಠ, ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ಕಠೋರ; ಆ ಹಠದಿಂದ ನಾಶವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದೂ ಮುಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಒತ್ತುತ್ತಾನೆ.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Stubborn insistence (nirbandha) becomes ethically dangerous when directed toward harm (anartha). Strength of will is not a virtue by itself; it must be governed by dharma, otherwise it accelerates ruin for oneself and others.
Vaiśampāyana characterizes a figure as forcefully persisting in a course that will cause great harm. The verse functions as a narrator’s moral-psychological assessment, highlighting how relentless resolve—especially when coupled with harshness—pushes events toward catastrophe.