Shloka 4
Drupada’s Instruction to the Purohita for the Kaurava Embassy (द्रुपदोपदेशः दूतप्रेषणम्)
प्रज्ञया सदृशश्वासि शुक्रेणाज्ञिरसेन च । विदितं चापि ते सर्व यथावृत्त: स कौरव:,आपकी बुद्धि शुक्राचार्य और बृहस्पतिके समान है। दुर्योधनका आचार-विचार जैसा है, वह सब भी आपको ज्ञात ही है
prajñayā sadṛśaś cāsi śukreṇāṅgiraseṇa ca | viditaṃ cāpi te sarvaṃ yathāvṛttaḥ sa kauravaḥ ||
Drupada sagte: „An Weisheit bist du Śukra und dem Āṅgirasa (Bṛhaspati) vergleichbar. Und du weißt auch vollständig, wie jener Kaurava—Duryodhana—in Wahrheit ist: sein Verhalten und seine Gesinnung, wie sie sich tatsächlich gezeigt haben.“
दुपद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sound political and moral judgment requires clear knowledge of a person’s true character. Duṣpada praises the listener’s discernment by likening it to the famed preceptors Śukra and Bṛhaspati, implying that ethical counsel must be grounded in accurate appraisal of Duryodhana’s established conduct.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Duṣpada addresses a respected adviser, affirming that the adviser already understands Duryodhana’s real nature and behavior. The line functions as a rhetorical setup for further counsel about how to respond to the Kaurava side.