Shloka 20
दुर्योधनस्य बलिवर्णनम् — Duryodhana’s Description of Tribute at the Rājasūya
प्रमत्तो धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तदा । नाभ्यभाषत् सुबलजं भाषमाणं पुन: पुन:,इस समय धूृतराष्ट्रपुत्र दुर्योधन उन्मत्त-सा हो रहा था। वह शकुनिके बार-बार पूछनेपर भी उसे कोई उत्तर नहीं दे रहा था
pramatto dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putro duryodhanas tadā | nābhyabhāṣat subalajaṁ bhāṣamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Zu jener Zeit war Duryodhana, der Sohn Dhṛtarāṣṭras, leichtsinnig und aufgewühlt geworden. Obwohl Śakuni, der Sohn Subalas, ihn immer wieder ansprach, gab Duryodhana keine Antwort. Die Szene zeigt, wie Stolz und innerer Aufruhr vernünftigen Rat zum Schweigen bringen und den ethischen Verfall beschleunigen können.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a person becomes pramatta—overpowered by pride, anger, or delusion—he stops responding to wise or strategic counsel. Ethical discernment (dharma-buddhi) weakens, and even repeated advice fails to penetrate a mind seized by inner agitation.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Duryodhana, mentally unsettled at that moment, remains silent and does not answer Śakuni (called subalaja, ‘born of Subala’), even though Śakuni addresses him repeatedly.