Shloka 13
Āśvamedhika-parva Adhyāya 1 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament by the Gaṅgā and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel
स्वस्ति चेदिच्छसे राजन् कुलस्य कुरु मे वच: । वध्यतामेष दुष्टात्मा मन्दो राजा सुयोधन:
svasti ced icchase rājan kulasya kuru me vacaḥ | vadhyatām eṣa duṣṭātmā mando rājā suyodhanaḥ ||
രാജാവേ! കുലത്തിന്റെ ക്ഷേമം നീ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ എന്റെ വാക്ക് അനുസരിക്ക; ഈ ദുഷ്ടാത്മാവും മന്ദബുദ്ധിയുമായ രാജാവ് സുയോധനൻ വധിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ.
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes responsible kingship and the primacy of collective welfare (svasti of the kula) over attachment to a destructive individual; when a ruler’s adharma endangers the whole, decisive corrective action is presented as ethically necessary.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a forceful piece of counsel addressed to a king: for the good of the dynasty, Suyodhana (Duryodhana) should be put to death, highlighting how his misconduct is seen as a direct threat to the family’s survival and order.