Mahabharata 3.201.78 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 78
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
मन्युप्रहरणा विप्रा न विप्रा: शस्त्रयोधिन: । निहन्युर्मन्युना विप्रा वजपाणिरिवासुरान्
manyupraharaṇā viprā na viprāḥ śastrayodhinaḥ | nihanyur manyunā viprā vajrapāṇir ivāsurān ||
ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ക്രോധം തന്നെയാണ് ആയുധം; അവർ ഇരുമ്പായുധങ്ങളെ ആശ്രയിച്ച് യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ അല്ല. കൈയിൽ വജ്രം ധരിച്ച ഇന്ദ്രൻ അസുരന്മാരെ സംഹരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, ബ്രാഹ്മണർ ധർമ്മോചിതമായ ക്രോധബലത്തിൽ കുറ്റക്കാരനെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts kṣatriya and brāhmaṇa modes of power: brāhmaṇas do not typically fight with physical weapons; their potency lies in moral-spiritual force—especially the destructive efficacy of righteous indignation expressed through tapas and speech (e.g., curse), which can punish wrongdoing.
Yudhiṣṭhira is emphasizing the extraordinary, non-martial power attributed to brāhmaṇas in the epic world: when provoked by adharma, their anger can bring ruin upon offenders, comparable to Indra’s thunderbolt destroying the asuras.
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