Shloka 51
ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins
उत्सादितश्न विषय: काशीनां रत्नसंचय: । एतस्य वीर्यदृप्तस्य हतं पुत्रशतं मया
utsāditaś ca viṣayaḥ kāśīnāṁ ratnasañcayaḥ | etasya vīryadṛptasya hataṁ putraśataṁ mayā ||
เราทำลายแคว้นกาศีจนราบคาบ และยึดเอาทรัพย์รัตนที่สั่งสมไว้ทั้งหมด อีกทั้งชายผู้นี้ซึ่งหลงระเริงในกำลังของตน เราได้สังหารบุตรของเขาไปถึงร้อยคน
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical warning against darpa (pride) born of strength: arrogance invites ruin. It also reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma, where political conflict and retribution can culminate in devastating violence and the loss of lineage.
Bhīṣma recounts a past campaign: he devastated the territory of the Kāśīs, took their amassed treasures, and killed a hundred sons of a valor-proud adversary, emphasizing the scale of his victory and the downfall brought by the opponent’s pride.