Shloka 50

Devanagari script

एकार्णवे च स्वपता निहतौ मधुकैटभौ । जन्मान्तरमुपागम्य हयग्रीवस्तथा हत:

Transliteration

ekārṇave ca svapatā nihatāu madhukaiṭabhau | janmāntaram upāgamya hayagrīvas tathā hataḥ ||

Translation

Vidura berkata: “Di lautan kosmik yang tunggal, ketika (Tuhan) berbaring dalam tidur yoga, Madhu dan Kaiṭabha telah dibunuh. Dan kemudian, setelah mengambil kelahiran yang lain, Hayagrīva juga dibunuh demikian.” Maksudnya: makhluk yang paling gagah sekalipun, yang bangkit kerana kuasa atau keadaan, tetap menemui kebinasaan apabila menentang tertib Ilahi; kekuatan tanpa dharma tidak menjamin kemenangan yang berkekalan.

Word by Word

एकin one

अर्णवेocean

चand

स्वपताwhile sleeping / by (him) sleeping

निहतौwere slain

मधुMadhu (name)

कैटभौKaiṭabha (name)

जन्मbirth

अन्तरम्another (interval/one) (i.e., another birth)

उपागम्यhaving attained/entered

हयग्रीवःHayagrīva

तथाthus/likewise

हतःwas slain

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Madhu

Kaiṭabha

Hayagrīva

Ekārṇava (the single cosmic ocean)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura uses mythic examples to show that adharma and arrogance are ultimately self-defeating: even powerful adversaries are destroyed when they stand against the sustaining order (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura cites two well-known demon figures—Madhu-Kaiṭabha and Hayagrīva—saying they were slain even under extraordinary circumstances, to warn that power and advantage do not protect those who act against righteousness.