पश्यन्न् इदं महाप्राज्ञः क्षत्ता राजानम् उक्तवान् ॥
कुलान्तकरणे पापे जातमात्रे सुयोधने ॥
नीयतां परलोकाय साध्व् अयं कुलपांसनः ॥
अस्माद् धि कुरुमुख्यानां महद् उत्पत्स्यते भयम् ॥
तद् इदं समनुप्राप्तं वचनं सत्यवादिनः ॥
तत्कृते ह्य् अद्य पश्यामि शरतल्पगतं कृपम् ॥
धिग् अस्तु क्षात्रम् आचारं धिग् अस्तु बलपौरुषम् ॥
को हि ब्राह्मणम् आचार्यम् अभिद्रुह्येत मादृशः ॥
paśyann idaṃ mahāprājñaḥ kṣattā rājānam uktavān ||
kulāntakaraṇe pāpe jātamātre suyodhane ||
nīyatāṃ paralokāya sādhv ayaṃ kulapāṃsanaḥ ||
asmād dhi kurumukhyānāṃ mahad utpatsyate bhayam ||
tad idaṃ samanuprāptaṃ vacanaṃ satyavādinaḥ ||
tatkṛte hy adya paśyāmi śaratalpagataṃ kṛpam ||
dhig astu kṣātram ācāraṃ dhig astu balapauruṣam ||
ko hi brāhmaṇam ācāryam abhidruhyeta mādṛśaḥ ||
[Arjuna:] "Seeing this, the most wise kshattr [Vidura] said to the king: 'At the birth of this sinful Suyodhana, destroyer of the lineage — it would be good if this defiler of the lineage were led away to the other world; for from him a great calamity will arise for the chief Kurus.' Now it has come to pass, the word of the truthful one; because of him I now see Kripa gone down onto a bed of arrows. Shame upon the kshatriya code, shame upon my strength and valor; for who, like me, would strike down a brahmin teacher?"
85a2c9f67b71 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:38 PM UTC
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Arjuna curses the very kshatriya custom that bids him strike even his teacher: "shame on the strength that drove me to this." It is telling that he traces the calamity back to Duryodhana, whose birth Vidura called the beginning of the lineage's ruin. The verse teaches that some deeds are lawful by custom yet bitter to the conscience; and the noble one, driven to them, does not excuse himself by the duty of war but grieves that his might has been turned against one who ought to be revered.