Shloka 24
Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)
ततो रामेण समरे द्वन्द्ययुद्धमुपागमम् । स हि रामभयादेभिननागिरैरविप्रवासित:
tato rāmeṇa samare dvandvayuddham upāgamam | sa hi rāmabhayād ebhiḥ nāgikaiḥ aviprāvāsitaḥ ||
त्यानंतर मी रणभूमीवर राम (परशुराम) याच्याशी द्वंद्वयुद्धास उतरलो. त्या काळी रामाच्या भयाने येथील नागरिकांनी राजा विचित्रवीर्याला नगरापासून दूर हटविले होते—जणू निर्वासितच केले होते.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can destabilize dharmic governance: when a community acts from panic before a powerful figure, it may abandon loyalty to rightful authority and commit ethically fraught acts like expelling a king.
Vāyudeva recounts that he engaged Paraśurāma in a duel on the battlefield, and notes that at that time the local citizens, frightened of Paraśurāma, had forced King Vicitravīrya to leave the city.