Shloka 7
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
राज्याद् विनिकृतो<स्माभि: कथं सो<स्मासु विश्वसेत् । अक्षयूते च नृपतिर्जितोडस्माभिमहाधन:
rājyād vinikṛto ’smābhiḥ kathaṃ so ’smāsu viśvaset | akṣayūte ca nṛpatir jito ’smābhir mahādhanaḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Wir selbst haben ihn seines Reiches beraubt — wie sollte er uns vertrauen? Und auch im Würfelspiel wurde jener überaus reiche König von uns besiegt.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing destroys moral credibility: those who dispossess and humiliate another—especially through deceitful means like the dice-game—cannot reasonably expect trust. The verse highlights the ethical consequence of adharma: loss of confidence and legitimacy.
Sañjaya reflects on the Kauravas’ past actions: they took away the king’s realm and defeated him in the dice-game. He argues that, given these injuries, it is natural that the wronged king would not trust them.