Shloka 9
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
बलवानहमित्येव न मन्तव्यं सुयोधन । बलवन्तो बलिभ्यो हि दृश्यन्ते पुरुषर्षभ
balavān aham ity eva na mantavyaṃ suyodhana | balavanto balibhyo hi dṛśyante puruṣarṣabha ||
Kaṇva berkata: “Wahai Suyodhana, janganlah engkau menyangka, ‘Akulah sahaja yang kuat.’ Wahai unggul antara manusia, bahkan dalam kalangan yang gagah pun ada yang lebih gagah lagi. Maka jangan biarkan kesombongan pada kekuatan menjadi penunjuk jalanmu; kenalilah batas kuasa dan bertindaklah dengan menahan diri serta kebijaksanaan.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not become arrogant about one’s own strength; in the world there are always those stronger. Ethical action requires humility, realistic self-assessment, and restraint rather than pride-driven decisions.
Kaṇva addresses Suyodhana (Duryodhana) with admonitory counsel, warning him against overconfidence and reminding him that power is relative—an implicit check on rashness in the tense pre-war context of the Udyoga Parva.