अध्याय ८७: कृष्णस्य हस्तिनापुरप्रवेशः
Krishna’s Entry into Hastināpura and Court Reception
अवमान श्र यत्र स्यात् क्षत्रियस्य विशाम्पते | न तत् कुर्याद् बुध: कार्यमिति मे निश्चिता मति:
avamānaḥ yatra syāt kṣatriyasya viśāmpate | na tat kuryād budhaḥ kāryam iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
Sinabi ni Duryodhana: “O panginoon ng mga tao, saanman mapapahiya ang isang kṣatriya, hindi dapat pasukin ng isang marunong na kṣatriya ang gayong gawain. Ito ang aking tiyak na paninindigan.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
The verse asserts an honor-based ethic: a wise kṣatriya should avoid any action that results in personal or class dishonour. It frames decision-making around preserving kṣatriya dignity, treating humiliation as a decisive moral and political boundary.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and counsel, Duryodhana articulates his stance to an addressed 'lord of the people,' insisting that he will not accept a course that entails humiliation for a kṣatriya—reflecting his rigid commitment to prestige as tensions move toward war.