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:,“दिव्य दृष्टि रखनेवाले धर्मात्मा विदुरने मुझसे यह पहले ही कह दिया था कि “दुर्योधनके अपराधसे आपका सारा कुल नष्ट हो जायगा। यदि आप अपने कुलका कल्याण करना चाहते हैं तो मेरी बात मान लीजिये। इस मन्दबुद्धि दुष्टात्मा राजा दुर्योधनको मार डालिये
svasti ced icchase rājan kulasya kuru me vacaḥ | vadhyatām eṣa duṣṭātmā mando rājā suyodhanaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, jika benar engkau menginginkan kesejahteraan bagi keturunanmu, lakukanlah menurut kataku. Biarlah Suyodhana, raja yang jiwanya jahat dan fikirannya tumpul itu, dibunuh.”
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.