Shloka 33
शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
'राजाके कुलमें उत्पन्न होकर विशेषत: कुरुकुलकी संतान होकर दुर्योधनके सिवा दूसरा कौन ऐसा है, जो व्यर्थ ही (अपने बन्धुओंके साथ) महान् वैर बाँधे ।। गुणतो< भ्यधिकान ज्ञात्वा बलत: शौर्यतो5पि वा । अमूढ: को नु युद्धयेत जानन् प्राज्ञो हिताहितम्,“दूसरोंको गुणसे, बलसे अथवा शौर्यसे भी अपनी अपेक्षा महान् जानकर भी अपने हित और अहितको समझनेवाला मूढ़ताशून्य कौन ऐसा बुद्धिमान् पुरुष होगा? जो उनके साथ युद्ध करेगा
rājāke kule utpannaḥ, viśeṣataḥ kurukulasya santānaḥ san, duryodhanāt paraḥ kaḥ saḥ yo vṛthāiva (svabandhubhiḥ saha) mahad vairaṃ bāndhet? guṇato 'bhyadhikān jñātvā balataḥ śauryataḥ api vā | amūḍhaḥ ko nu yuddhyeta jānan prājño hitāhitam ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: “Ipinanganak sa angkan ng mga hari—at lalo na bilang supling ng sambahayang Kuru—sino pa, maliban kay Duryodhana, ang magbubuo ng napakalaking pagkapoot nang walang saysay, kahit laban sa sarili niyang mga kamag-anak? Kung batid niyang ang iba ay higit sa kanya sa kabutihang-asal, sa lakas, o maging sa kagitingan, anong malinaw ang isip at marunong—na nakaaalam ng kapakinabangan at kapahamakan—ang pipiling makidigma sa kanila?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A discerning person who understands benefit and harm does not initiate futile hostility—especially against one’s own kin—when the opponents are known to be superior in virtue, strength, or valor. The verse frames Duryodhana’s war as a uniquely irrational, ethically compromised choice driven by delusion rather than wisdom.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, comments on the Kuru conflict and singles out Duryodhana as exceptional in binding himself to a pointless, great enmity with his own relatives, despite knowing their superiority and despite understanding the disastrous consequences of such a war.