Mahabharata 4.22.28 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 22, Shloka 28
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
दर्पाच्च सूतपुत्रो$सौ गन्धर्वानवमन्यते । त॑ंत्वं प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ हृदान्नागमिवोद्धर
darpāc ca sūtaputro 'sau gandharvān avamanyate | taṃ tvaṃ praharatāṃ śreṣṭha hṛdān nāgam ivoddhara ||
दर्पाच्च सूतपुत्रोऽसौ गन्धर्वानवमन्यते । तं त्वं प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ ह्रदाद् नागमिवोद्धर ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogance that belittles worthy opponents invites downfall; contempt (avamāna) clouds judgment and leads to disgrace and harm, whereas humility and discernment are protective virtues in dharmic conduct.
The narrator reports a command directed to a foremost fighter: because the ‘sūtaputra’ is proudly insulting the Gandharvas, he is to be forcibly dragged out from a lake—likened to pulling out a serpent—implying decisive defeat and expulsion (even death) as the consequence of his overconfidence.
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