Shloka 3
कर्णसेनापत्यारम्भः — Karṇa’s Appointment and the Report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Chapter 1
ते मुहूर्त समाश्वस्य हेतुभि: शास्त्रसम्मितै: । रात्यागमे महीपाला: स्वानि वेश्मानि भेजिरे
te muhūrtaṃ samāśvasya hetubhiḥ śāstra-sammitaiḥ | rātry-āgame mahīpālāḥ svāni veśmāni bhejire ||
Having regained composure for a short while, and having reassured Aśvatthāmā with arguments consistent with the teachings of the śāstras, the kings—when night fell—returned each to his own quarters. The scene shows that even amid war, counsel is expected to rest on recognized norms, and that the day’s deliberations yield to the night’s withdrawal and preparation.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Counsel and reassurance, especially in moments of crisis, should be grounded in śāstra-approved reasoning (śāstra-sammata hetu), reflecting the ideal that royal decisions and emotions alike are to be steadied by recognized ethical and intellectual standards.
After being consoled for a brief time through persuasive, tradition-consistent arguments, the assembled kings disperse when night arrives and go back to their respective quarters/camps, marking a pause in deliberation and action.