Shloka 2
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 126 — Kṛṣṇa’s Indictment of Misrule and the Varuṇa Analogy (कृष्णवाक्यं–धर्मपाशदृष्टान्तः)
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! कौरवसभामें यह अप्रिय वचन सुनकर दुर्योधनने यशस्वी महाबाहु वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्णको इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया-- ।। प्रसमी क्ष्य भवानेतद् वक्तुमहति केशव । मामेव हि विशेषेण विभाष्य परिगर्हसे,“केशव! आपको अच्छी तरह सोच-विचारकर ऐसी बातें कहनी चाहिये। आप तो विशेषरूपसे मुझे ही दोषी ठहराकर मेरी निन्दा कर रहे हैं
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—Janamejaya! Kauravasabhāyāṃ tad apriyaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā Duryodhanaḥ yaśasvinaṃ mahābāhuṃ Vasudevanandanaṃ Śrīkṛṣṇaṃ praty evaṃ pratyuvāca— “prasamyak kṣya bhavān etad vaktum arhati Keśava; mām eva hi viśeṣeṇa vibhāṣya parigarhase.”
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó Janamejaya, ao ouvir-se na assembleia dos Kaurava aquele discurso desagradável, Duryodhana respondeu assim ao ilustre Śrī Kṛṣṇa, de braços poderosos, filho de Vasudeva: ‘Keśava, palavras assim só deveriam ser ditas após cuidadosa reflexão. Pois tu me apontas em particular—falas de mim para censurar-me e condenar-me.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical speech and accountability: counsel should be given with deliberation, yet the one at fault often experiences truthful admonition as ‘blame.’ Duryodhana’s reaction shows how pride resists moral critique by reframing it as personal attack.
In the Kaurava court, after Kṛṣṇa has spoken words that Duryodhana finds unpleasant, Duryodhana responds defensively, telling Kṛṣṇa to speak only after proper consideration and accusing him of targeting Duryodhana specifically with reproach.