Shloka 6
गान्धारी-प्रशमनम् — Pacification of Gāndhārī and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel at Hāstinapura
तत्रैतान् पर्युपातिष्ठन् दुर्योधनपुर:सरा: । कृताञ्जलिपुटा राजन् काषायमलिनाम्बरा:,राजन! वहाँ दुर्योधनके आगे-आगे चलनेवाले सेवकगण मलिन भगवा वस्त्र पहनकर हाथ जोड़े हुए इन पाण्डवोंके समक्ष उपस्थित हुए
sañjaya uvāca | tatraitān paryupātiṣṭhan duryodhana-puraḥsarāḥ | kṛtāñjali-puṭā rājan kāṣāya-malina-ambarāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dort, o König, traten die Diener, die gewöhnlich vor Duryodhana hergingen, vor diese Pāṇḍavas. Mit gefalteten Händen in Ehrfurcht und in schmutzigen safranfarbenen Gewändern stellten sie sich ein.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how gestures of reverence—joined hands and ascetic-colored clothing—can function as social and political signals. In a war setting, such outward humility may indicate submission, negotiation, or strategic messaging, inviting reflection on the ethical gap between appearance and intention.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana’s forerunners/attendants approached and stood before the Pāṇḍavas with folded hands, wearing soiled ochre garments, as part of a formal approach or presentation in the unfolding events of the Shalya Parva.