Shloka 8
कर्णवधोत्तरं शल्य-दुर्योधनसंवादः
Aftermath of Karṇa’s Fall: Śalya’s Address to Duryodhana
प्रच्छादितं बडिशमिवामिषेण संछादितं गरलमिवाशनेन । अनर्थकं मे दर्शितवानसि त्वं राज्यार्थिनो राज्यरूपं विनाशम्,“मैं राज्य पाना चाहता था; किंतु तुमने मांससे ढके हुए वंशीके काँटे और भोजनसामग्रीसे आच्छादित हुए विषके समान मुझे राज्यके रूपमें अनर्थकारी विनाशका ही दर्शन कराया है
sañjaya uvāca |
pracchāditaṁ baḍiśam ivāmiṣeṇa saṁchāditaṁ garalam ivāśanena |
anarthakaṁ me darśitavān asi tvaṁ rājyārthino rājyarūpaṁ vināśam ||
যেমন টোপে ঢাকা মাছের বঁড়শি, যেমন খাদ্যে আচ্ছাদিত বিষ—তেমনই তুমি আমাকে, যে রাজ্যপ্রার্থী ছিলাম, ‘রাজ্য’ নামে কেবল অনর্থকর ধ্বংসই দেখালে।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that the pursuit of kingship can be deceptively attractive yet intrinsically destructive: power may look like benefit, but when driven by craving it becomes a concealed hook or hidden poison—bringing ruin rather than true good.
Sañjaya reports a lament-like reflection using two vivid similes (baited hook and food-covered poison) to describe how the hoped-for ‘kingdom’ has revealed itself as disaster for the one who sought it, underscoring the tragic cost of the war and ambition.