Shloka 37
उद्योगपर्व (अध्याय १२९) — केशवस्य वैभवप्रदर्शनम् / Krishna’s Theophanic Display in the Kuru Assembly
यो न शक्यो बलात् कर्तु देवैरपि सवासवै: । त॑ त्वं प्रार्थयसे मन्द बालबश्रन्द्रमसं यथा,'ओ मूढ़! इन्द्रसहित सम्पूर्ण देवता भी जिन्हें बलपूर्वक अपने वशमें नहीं कर सकते, उन्हींको तू बंदी बनाना चाहता है। तेरी यह चेष्टा वैसी ही है, जैसे कोई बालक चन्द्रमाको पकड़ना चाहता हो
yo na śakyo balāt kartuṁ devair api savāsavaiḥ | taṁ tvaṁ prārthayase manda bālaś candramasaṁ yathā |
Disse Vaiśaṃpāyana: «Ó tolo! Aquele a quem nem mesmo os deuses—com Indra—podem subjugar pela força, tu procuras capturar e amarrar. A tua tentativa é tão vã quanto a de uma criança que tenta apanhar a lua.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns reckless arrogance: attempting to overpower what is inherently unconquerable is not courage but delusion. Ethical strength includes recognizing limits, heeding wise counsel, and avoiding actions driven by pride that lead to ruin.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates a sharp rebuke: the addressee is warned that trying to capture or subjugate certain formidable persons is impossible—even the gods with Indra cannot do it—so the plan is compared to a child trying to seize the moon.