Shloka 13
Āśvamedhika-parva Adhyāya 1 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament by the Gaṅgā and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel
स्वस्ति चेदिच्छसे राजन् कुलस्य कुरु मे वच: । वध्यतामेष दुष्टात्मा मन्दो राजा सुयोधन:
svasti ced icchase rājan kulasya kuru me vacaḥ | vadhyatām eṣa duṣṭātmā mando rājā suyodhanaḥ ||
ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਜੇ ਤੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਕੁਲ ਦੀ ਭਲਾਈ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਗੱਲ ਮੰਨ; ਇਸ ਦੁਸ਼ਟ ਆਤਮਾ, ਮੰਦਬੁੱਧੀ ਰਾਜਾ ਸੁਯੋਧਨ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ।
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes responsible kingship and the primacy of collective welfare (svasti of the kula) over attachment to a destructive individual; when a ruler’s adharma endangers the whole, decisive corrective action is presented as ethically necessary.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a forceful piece of counsel addressed to a king: for the good of the dynasty, Suyodhana (Duryodhana) should be put to death, highlighting how his misconduct is seen as a direct threat to the family’s survival and order.