Shloka 19
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
दुर्योधनं महाराज वचन वचनक्षम: । महाराज! तब प्रवचनपटु गान्धारराजपुत्र शकुनिने दुर्योधनसे यह बात कही-- ।। १८ *॥ कि नः सम्प्रेक्षमाणानां मद्राणां हन्यते बलम्
sañjaya uvāca |
duryodhanaṃ mahārāja vacana-vacana-kṣamaḥ |
mahārāja! tadā pravacana-paṭuḥ gāndhāra-rāja-putraḥ śakunir duryodhanam idaṃ vacanam abravīt— ||
kiṃ naḥ samprekṣamāṇānāṃ madrāṇāṃ hanyate balam ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O König, da wandte sich Śakuni — der redegewandte Sohn des Herrschers von Gāndhāra, kundig in Wort und Gegenwort — an Duryodhana: ‚Während wir hier stehen und zusehen, soll die Stärke der Madra zugrunde gehen?‘“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsibility in collective action: when allies are being harmed, passive spectatorship becomes a moral failure. Leadership and loyalty demand timely intervention rather than detached watching.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Shakuni, noted for persuasive speech, addresses Duryodhana with a pointed question—why the Madra forces are being destroyed while they merely look on—urging Duryodhana toward action.