Shloka 12

Udyoga Parva Adhyaya 62 — Duryodhana’s Claim of Victory and Vidura’s Allegories on Discord and Risk

Devanagari script

क्रव्याद्धय इव भूतानामदान्ते भ्य: सदा भयम्‌ । येषां च प्रतिषेधार्थ क्षत्रं सृष्टं स्‍्वयम्भुवा

Transliteration

kravyāddhaya iva bhūtānām adāntebhyaḥ sadā bhayam | yeṣāṃ ca pratiṣedhārthaṃ kṣatraṃ sṛṣṭaṃ svayambhuvā ||

Translation

وِدُر نے کہا— جس طرح گوشت خور درندوں سے سب جاندار ہمیشہ خوف زدہ رہتے ہیں، اسی طرح بے ضبط (اَدانت) آدمیوں سے بھی تمام مخلوقات کو ہر دم خوف رہتا ہے۔ انہیں—یعنی تشدد وغیرہ بداعمالیوں سے روکنے کے لیے—سویَمبھُو (برہما) نے کشتریہ قوت (کشترا) کو پیدا کیا۔

Word by Word

• {'kravyāddhayaḥ': 'flesh-eaters

• carnivorous, predatory beings', 'iva': 'like

• as', 'bhūtānām': 'of living beings

• of creatures', 'adāntebhyaḥ': 'from the unbridled/undisciplined

• from the unrestrained (persons)', 'sadā': 'always

• constantly', 'bhayam': 'fear

• danger', 'yeṣām': 'of whom

• whose (people)', 'ca': 'and

• also', 'pratiṣedhārtham': 'for the purpose of restraint/prohibition

• to prevent (wrongdoing)', 'kṣatram': 'kṣatra

• the warrior/kingly power (kṣatriya function)', 'sṛṣṭam': 'created

• brought forth', 'svayambhuvā': 'by Svayambhū

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• Kṣatra (royal/warrior power; Kṣatriya order)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Uncontrolled, violent, and undisciplined people become a source of fear to society, like predators in the wild. Therefore legitimate royal power (kṣatra) exists to restrain wrongdoing and protect beings through enforcement of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he explains the ethical rationale for kingship and the kṣatriya function: it is instituted by the cosmic creator to curb harmful conduct and maintain social safety and order.