Shloka 6
गान्धारी-प्रशमनम् — Pacification of Gāndhārī and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel at Hāstinapura
तत्रैतान् पर्युपातिष्ठन् दुर्योधनपुर:सरा: । कृताञ्जलिपुटा राजन् काषायमलिनाम्बरा:,राजन! वहाँ दुर्योधनके आगे-आगे चलनेवाले सेवकगण मलिन भगवा वस्त्र पहनकर हाथ जोड़े हुए इन पाण्डवोंके समक्ष उपस्थित हुए
sañjaya uvāca | tatraitān paryupātiṣṭhan duryodhana-puraḥsarāḥ | kṛtāñjali-puṭā rājan kāṣāya-malina-ambarāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: There, O King, the attendants who went in front of Duryodhana came and stood before these Pāṇḍavas. With their hands joined in reverence, and wearing soiled saffron garments, they presented themselves.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how gestures of reverence—joined hands and ascetic-colored clothing—can function as social and political signals. In a war setting, such outward humility may indicate submission, negotiation, or strategic messaging, inviting reflection on the ethical gap between appearance and intention.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana’s forerunners/attendants approached and stood before the Pāṇḍavas with folded hands, wearing soiled ochre garments, as part of a formal approach or presentation in the unfolding events of the Shalya Parva.