Shloka 10
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
न बलं॑ बलिनां मध्ये बलं भवति कौरव । बलवन्तो हि ते सर्वे पाण्डवा देवविक्रमा:
na balaṁ balināṁ madhye balaṁ bhavati kaurava | balavanto hi te sarve pāṇḍavā devavikramāḥ ||
ಕೌರವನೇ! ಬಲವಂತರ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಕೇವಲ ‘ಬಲ’ವೇ ಬಲವೆಂದು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಆ ಪಾಂಡವರು ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ದೇವಸಮಾನ ವಿಕ್ರಮವುಳ್ಳ ಬಲವಂತರು.
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength is relative and must be judged realistically; pride in one’s own power is folly when facing genuinely superior warriors. The verse urges sober assessment and humility in political and military decisions.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Kaṇva addresses a Kaurava leader (commonly understood as Duryodhana), warning him not to overestimate Kaurava power, since the Pāṇḍavas are all formidable, with godlike prowess.