महोदर-वाक्यं कुम्भकर्ण-प्रतिषेधः
Mahodara’s Counsel and the Critique of Kumbhakarna’s Solo Assault
एकस्यैवाभियानेतुहेतुर्यःकथितस्त्वया ।तत्राप्यनुपपन्नंतेवक्ष्यामियदसाधु च ।।।।
ekasyaivābhiyāne tu hetur yaḥ kathitas tvayā |
tatrāpy anupapannaṃ te vakṣyāmi yad asādhu ca ||
Adapun tentang engkau maju berperang seorang diri—alasan yang engkau kemukakan untuk itu, bahkan di situ pun tidak wajar dan tidak patut. Aku akan memberitahumu sebabnya.
"You have set out alone (for war) and the reason adduced by you is ill conceived and improper. I shall tell you."
Dharma here is expressed as truthful counsel (satya-vacana) and responsible decision-making: a leader/warrior should not rely on ill-reasoned motives, especially when lives and the community’s fate are at stake.
Mahodara challenges Kumbhakarṇa’s stated rationale for marching out alone, positioning himself as a corrective voice within the Rākṣasa assembly.
Nīti (prudent counsel) and satya (frankness): Mahodara claims the duty to point out what is logically and ethically unsound.