Shloka 11
Karṇa-nidhana-śravaṇa, Kṣaya-Varṇana, and Śeṣa-sainika-nirdeśa
Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall, Accounting of Losses, and Naming of Remaining Warriors
गर्हयंश्चात्मनो बुद्धि शकुने: सौबलस्य च । ध्यात्वा तु सुचिरं काल॑ वेपमानो मुहुर्मुहु:,उन्होंने अपनी और सुबलपुत्र शकुनिकी बुद्धिको भी कोसा। फिर बहुत देरतक चिन्तामग्न रहनेके पश्चात् वे बारंबार काँपने लगे
garhayaṁś cātmano buddhiṁ śakuneḥ saubalasya ca | dhyātvā tu suciraṁ kālaṁ vepamāno muhur muhuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Condemning his own judgment as well as that of Śakuni, the son of Subala, he remained absorbed in thought for a long time; and then, again and again, he began to tremble—an outward sign of inner remorse and foreboding amid the moral collapse that has led to war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Faulty counsel and self-serving intelligence lead to ruin; when adharma matures into consequences, remorse arises too late. The verse highlights ethical accountability—one must examine one’s own buddhi (judgment) and the influence of corrupt advisers before actions become irreversible.
The speaker reports that a key figure (contextually, one involved in the Kuru decisions) reproaches both his own judgment and Śakuni’s counsel. After prolonged reflection, he repeatedly trembles, indicating fear, guilt, and ominous anticipation as the war’s destructive outcomes become unavoidable.