जित्वा शत्रून् फलम् आप्तं महन् नो; मास्मान् क्षत्तः परुषाणीह वोचः ॥
द्विषद्भिस् त्वं संप्रयोगाभिनन्दी; मुहुर् द्वेषं यासि नः संप्रमोहात् ॥
अमित्रतां याति नरो ऽक्षमं ब्रुवन्; निगूहते गुह्यम् अमित्रसंस्तवे ॥
तदाश्रितापत्रपा किं न बाधते; यद् इच्छसि त्वं तद् इहाद्य भाषसे ॥
jitvā śatrūn phalam āptaṃ mahan no; māsmān kṣattaḥ paruṣāṇīha vocaḥ ||
dviṣadbhis tvaṃ saṃprayogābhinandī; muhur dveṣaṃ yāsi naḥ saṃpramohāt ||
amitratāṃ yāti naro 'kṣamaṃ bruvan; nigūhate guhyam amitrasaṃstave ||
tadāśritāpatrapā kiṃ na bādhate; yad icchasi tvaṃ tad ihādya bhāṣase ||
[Duryodhana:] "Having conquered our enemies, we have won a great reward; so do not speak harsh words to us here, Kshattri. You, who rejoice in alliance with our foes, again and again come to hate us out of delusion. A man who speaks the unbearable earns enmity; yet you conceal your secret in praising the enemy; does not shameless reliance on them weigh on you? You say here today whatever you please."
5cc30502e456 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:03:37 PM UTC
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Duryodhana calls the very word of salvation "harshness": a truth unwelcome to him feels to him like an insult. It is telling that he calls Vidura's care "hatred": one clouded by delusion mistakes healing for hostility. The verse teaches that to a corrupted ear bitter truth sounds like abuse and flattery like friendship: a ruined taste distorts the judging of words. And the charge that Vidura "praises the enemy" exposes Duryodhana himself — he calls those he ought to love enemies, and calls an enemy his physician. Whoever mistakes truth for harshness is already beyond healing by words; and the more carefully he is warned, the more surely he walks toward ruin.