Shloka 26
Virāṭa-sabhāyāṃ Saṃniveśaḥ — Assembly at Virāṭa’s Hall and Kṛṣṇa’s Diplomatic Counsel
समाददे वाक्यमथाग्रजो<5स्य सम्पूज्य वाक्यं तदतीव राजन्,राजन! भगवान् श्रीकृष्णका धर्म और अर्थसे युक्त, मधुर एवं उभयपक्षके लिये समानरूपसे हितकर वचन सुनकर उनके बड़े भाई बलरामजीने उस भाषणकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा करके अपना वक्तव्य आरम्भ किया
samādade vākyam athāgrajo 'sya sampūjya vākyam tad atīva rājan | rājan bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇaka dharma-artha-yuktaṃ madhuraṃ ca ubhaya-pakṣayoḥ samānarūpataḥ hitakaraṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā tasya jyeṣṭha-bhrātā balarāmaḥ tasya bhāṣaṇasya bhūri-bhūri praśaṃsāṃ kṛtvā svam vaktavyam ārabhata ||
Then his elder brother, after honoring and highly commending that speech, began to speak, O King. For when Lord Kṛṣṇa’s words—grounded in dharma and in prudent statecraft, sweet in tone, and impartially beneficial to both sides—were heard, Balarāma praised that address again and again and then commenced his own statement.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ideal counsel should unite dharma (moral right) with artha (practical governance), be gentle in expression, and aim at the welfare of all parties rather than partisan gain.
After Krishna delivers a balanced, welfare-oriented speech, his elder brother Balarama respectfully praises it repeatedly and then begins to present his own viewpoint.