Shloka 13
सेनापति-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डवसेनायाः कुरुक्षेत्रगमनम्
Decision on Command and the Pandavas’ March to Kurukshetra
द्यूततो धार्तराष्ट्राणां निन््दां कृत्वा तथा पुनः । भेदयित्वा नृपान् सर्वान् वाम्भिर्मन्त्रेण चासकृत्,समस्त राजाओंको डाँट बताकर दुर्योधनको तिनकेके समान समझकर तथा राधानन्दन कर्ण और सुबलपुत्र शकुनिको बार-बार डराकर जूएसे धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंकी निन्दा करके वाणी तथा गुप्त मन्त्रणाद्वारा सब राजाओंके मनमें अनेक बार भेद उत्पन्न करनेके पश्चात् फिर सामसहित दानकी बात उठायी, जिससे कुरुवंशकी एकता बनी रहे और अभीष्ट कार्यकी सिद्धि हो जाय
dyūtato dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ nindāṁ kṛtvā tathā punaḥ | bhedayitvā nṛpān sarvān vāgbhir mantreṇa cāsakṛt ||
Vāyu sprach: „Nachdem er die Söhne Dhṛtarāṣṭras wegen ihres Würfelspiels getadelt und dann abermals—durch Worte und wiederholte geheime Beratung—unter allen Königen Zwietracht gesät hatte, fuhr er weiter fort.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unethical conduct (here, the Kauravas’ gambling) becomes a legitimate ground for moral censure, and how speech and secret counsel can be used—rightly or wrongly—as powerful instruments to fracture alliances. It implicitly warns that manipulative rhetoric and covert strategy can inflame conflict even before weapons are raised.
Vāyu describes a sequence of political actions: first condemning the Kauravas for the dice-game, then repeatedly using persuasive speech and confidential counsel to create divisions among the assembled kings. The verse portrays the deliberate shaping of the political field through blame and alliance-splitting.