Shloka 20

मैत्रेयागमनम् — The Arrival of Maitreya and the Admonition to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

पश्यतां पाण्डुपुत्राणां नाशयामास वीर्यवान्‌ । स नष्टमायो5तिबल: क्रोधविस्फारितेक्षण:

Transliteration

paśyatāṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ nāśayāmāsa vīryavān | sa naṣṭamāyo 'tibalaḥ krodhavisphāritekṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

பாண்டு புதல்வர்கள் கண்முன்னே அந்த வல்லவன் அழிவை நிகழ்த்தினான். அவனது மாயை தீர்ந்திருந்தாலும், வலிமை அளவற்றது; கோபத்தால் விரிந்த கண்களுடன் அவன் உற்றுநோக்கிக் கொண்டிருந்தான்.

Word by Word

पश्यताम्of (those) watching / while (they) watched

पाण्डु-पुत्राणाम्of the sons of Pāṇḍu (the Pāṇḍavas)

नाशयामासdestroyed

वीर्यवान्powerful, valiant

सःhe

नष्ट-मायःwhose illusion/magic was lost (i.e., deprived of his māyā)

अति-बलःexceedingly strong

क्रोध-विस्फारित-ईक्षणःwhose eyes were widened by anger

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

प

पाण्डुपुत्राः (Pāṇḍuputrāḥ / the Pāṇḍavas)

व

विदुर (Vidura, as speaker)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how unchecked anger (krodha) can dominate even the strong and valiant, turning prowess into destructive action; ethical strength in the Mahābhārata is repeatedly tied to self-mastery rather than mere physical power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura describes a powerful figure who, in full view of the Pāṇḍavas, causes destruction; his deceptive power or stratagem (māyā) is gone, yet he remains immensely strong, glaring with rage—emphasizing the scene’s intensity and moral warning.