Shloka 8
सर्वोपायैर्निहन्तव्या: शत्रव: शत्रुसूदन | पुरा युद्धाद् बलाद् वापि प्रकुर्वन्ति तवाहितम्,शत्रुसूदन! जो आपका अहित करते हैं, उन शत्रुओंको बिना युद्धके अथवा युद्ध करके --सभी उपायोंसे मार डालना चाहिये
sarvopāyair nihantavyāḥ śatravaḥ śatrusūdana | purā yuddhād balād vāpi prakurvanti tavāhitam ||
“Wahai pembinasa musuh, musuh yang mendatangkan mudarat kepadamu wajib dimusnahkan dengan segala ikhtiar—sama ada sebelum perang, atau dengan kekuatan sekalipun tanpa peperangan terbuka.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys an expedient, ruthless maxim of power: if someone acts against your welfare, you should eliminate them by any method, even outside formal battle. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical landscape, this reflects a turn away from restraint and fair combat toward adharma-driven realpolitik.
In the Sabha Parva context, Duryodhana is speaking in a charged political moment and presses a hardline strategy: treat opponents as threats to be removed preemptively or by force, rather than relying only on open warfare or negotiated limits.