Shloka 5
विदुरस्य कृष्णं प्रति शमोपदेशः
Vidura’s Counsel to Krishna on the Limits of Peace
दुःशासनं च कर्ण च शकुनिं चापि सौबलम्
duḥśāsanaṃ ca karṇaṃ ca śakuniṃ cāpi saubalam
Vaiśampāyana sprach: «(Er nannte) Duḥśāsana, Karṇa und auch Śakuni, den Sohn Subalas.» Die Zeile rückt zentrale Träger von Rat und Feindschaft hervor, deren Entscheidungen den moralischen Verfall verschärfen und auf den Krieg zutreiben.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how influential figures—especially counselors and powerful allies—shape a ruler’s moral trajectory. Naming these agents underscores that adharma often advances through collective complicity: when strength (Karṇa), aggression (Duḥśāsana), and cunning counsel (Śakuni) align, ethical restraint erodes and conflict becomes more likely.
Vaiśampāyana is listing specific individuals—Duḥśāsana, Karṇa, and Śakuni (Saubala)—as part of an enumeration in the Udyoga Parva context, where alignments, counsel, and preparations surrounding the impending Kurukṣetra war are being described.