Shloka 203
पाण्डवपरिचयः—विराटसभायां प्रकाशनम्
Identification of the Pāṇḍavas in Virāṭa’s Court
शान्तिं परां प्राप्प यदा स्थितो भू- रुत्सृज्य बाणांश्व धनुर्विचित्रम् । “पितामह! यह आपके हाथसे कैसे बच गया? आप इसे इस प्रकार मथ डालिये
vaiśampāyana uvāca | śāntiṃ parāṃ prāpya yadā sthito bhūr utsṛjya bāṇāṃś ca dhanur vicitram |
Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Als er in tiefste Ruhe versank und, nachdem er seine Pfeile und seinen wunderbaren Bogen weggeworfen hatte, bewusstlos am Boden lag, lachte Bhīṣma, der Sohn Śantanus, und sagte zu Duryodhana: „O König! Als du deinen prächtigen Bogen und deine Pfeile preisgabst und hier, von tiefer Betäubung überwältigt, dalagst—wo war da dein Urteil, und wo war dein Mut?“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage stresses accountability and self-mastery: a leader should not fault others for consequences that arise from his own negligence, loss of discernment, or failure to uphold vigilance and courage in a crisis.
Bhīṣma responds to Duryodhana’s complaint about an enemy escaping. He points out that Duryodhana himself had earlier dropped his bow and arrows and lay senseless, implying that the escape occurred because Duryodhana was incapacitated and inattentive.