Shloka 17
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
महत्यनर्थे निर्बन्धी बलवांक्षु विशेषतः
mahatyanarthe nirbandhī balavāṁkṣu viśeṣataḥ
ਉਹ ਵੱਡੇ ਅਨਰਥ ਉੱਤੇ ਹਠ ਧਰ ਕੇ ਬੈਠਾ ਹੈ—ਦ੍ਰਿੜ੍ਹ ਇਰਾਦੇ ਵਾਲਾ ਤੇ ਬਲਵਾਨ, ਖ਼ਾਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਕਠੋਰਤਾ ਵਿੱਚ; ਨਾਸ ਜਾਣਦਿਆਂ ਵੀ ਉਸੇ ਜ਼ਿੱਦ ਨਾਲ ਅੱਗੇ ਧੱਕਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Stubborn insistence (nirbandha) becomes ethically dangerous when directed toward harm (anartha). Strength of will is not a virtue by itself; it must be governed by dharma, otherwise it accelerates ruin for oneself and others.
Vaiśampāyana characterizes a figure as forcefully persisting in a course that will cause great harm. The verse functions as a narrator’s moral-psychological assessment, highlighting how relentless resolve—especially when coupled with harshness—pushes events toward catastrophe.