Shloka 30
राजसूयविचारः — Deliberation on the Rajasuya and the Summoning of Kṛṣṇa
युद्ध च क्षत्रशमनं पृथिवीक्षयकारणम् | किंचिदेव निमित्तं च भवत्यत्र क्षयावहम्,तथा इसका अनुष्ठान होनेपर कोई एक ऐसा निमित्त भी बन जाता है, जिससे पृथ्वीपर विनाशकारी युद्ध उपस्थित हो जाता है, जो क्षत्रियोंके संहार और भूमण्डलके विनाशका कारण होता है
yuddhaṃ ca kṣatra-śamanaṃ pṛthivī-kṣaya-kāraṇam | kiñcid eva nimittaṃ ca bhavaty atra kṣayāvaham |
Nārada berkata: “Perang membawa kebinasaan golongan kṣatriya dan menjadi sebab bumi menyusut dan merana. Dalam keadaan demikian, walau sekecil-kecil alasan pun boleh timbul—yang membawa kehancuran—lalu daripadanya tercetus perang dahsyat di muka bumi, mengakibatkan pembantaian kṣatriya dan kemusnahan yang meluas.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
War is intrinsically ruinous: it destroys the kṣatriya order and harms the earth itself. Therefore even minor provocations (nimitta) can become catastrophic when the conditions for conflict are present, warning rulers to restrain escalation and guard against small triggers.
Nārada is speaking in the Sabha Parva context, reflecting on the nature and consequences of war. He emphasizes how easily a destructive conflict can arise from a small pretext and how such war leads to mass kṣatriya slaughter and widespread devastation.