Shloka 24
Adhyāya 128 — Proposal to Restrain Keśava; Sātyaki’s Warning and Vidura–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Counsel
कामक्रोधौ हि पुरुषमर्थेभ्यो व्यपकर्षत: । तौ तु शत्रू विनिर्जित्य राजा विजयते महीम्,“काम और क्रोध मनुष्यको धनसे दूर खींच ले जाते हैं। उन दोनों शत्रुओंको जीत लेनेपर राजा इस पृथ्वीपर विजय पाता है
kāmakrodhau hi puruṣam arthebhyo vyapakarṣataḥ | tau tu śatrū vinirjitya rājā vijayate mahīm ||
Желание и гнев поистине уводят человека прочь от благополучия и праведной выгоды. Но когда царь побеждает этих двух внутренних врагов, он становится достоин покорять и править землёй—одерживая победу самовладанием, а не одной лишь силой.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that true victory begins with conquering inner enemies—desire (kāma) and anger (krodha). These passions divert a person from artha (rightful prosperity and aims). A ruler who masters them gains the moral and practical capacity to rule and ‘conquer’ the earth.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, states a general ethical maxim within the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-laden context: as war approaches, guidance is given on conduct and statecraft, emphasizing that a king’s success depends not only on strategy but on restraint over destructive impulses.