Shloka 53
कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
प्रणयाद् बहुमानाच्च त॑ निगृह[ सुतस्तव । अब्रवीन्मधुरं वाक््यं साम्ना सर्वार्थसाधकम्,तब आपके पुत्रने बड़े प्रेम और आदरसे उन्हें रोका तथा सान्त्वनापूर्ण मधुर स्वरमें उनसे यह सर्वार्थलाधक वचन कहा--
praṇayād bahumānāc ca taṁ nigṛhya sutas tava | abravīn madhuraṁ vākyaṁ sāmnā sarvārthasādhakam ||
Sañjaya said: “Out of affection and respectful regard, your son restrained him and, in a soothing and gentle tone, spoke words of conciliation—speech calculated to accomplish every purpose.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the strategic and ethical power of restrained, respectful speech: affection (praṇaya) and esteem (bahumāna) can motivate one to prevent harmful impulsiveness, while sāman—conciliation—can achieve objectives without immediate coercion.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son checks someone’s action and then addresses him with gentle, pacifying words designed to be effective and goal-fulfilling—setting up a conciliatory counsel or persuasion within the war narrative.